Making a Life
by StarvingLunatic
Summary: SwanQueen. AU, set in a modern day Enchanted Forest/FTL. Emma and Regina are enjoying an affair that has become something more. Unfortunately, Regina's engaged and scared her mother will find out about the affair. Emma has huge family issues to sort out, like having one. It gets worse when they're seen together in a hotel. Will this blow up in their faces or can they beat the odds?
1. Familiar

I don't own these characters. I don't own the song _Last Time_.

A/N: this is an AU set in a modern version of the Enchanted Forest, aka Misthaven. It started out as a one-shot based on a Trey Songz's song, called _Last Time_. It's grown since, taking on a life of its own, and barely has any connection to the song after the first couple of chapters. I hope you enjoy.

Also, this story is unbeta'ed and it will earn its rating right from the very beginning.

Making a Life

1: Familiar

No matter how many times they had done this, each time she pulled up to some place new, butterflies sprouted to life in Regina's stomach. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the hotel from her car. It was a grand place, like many hotels in this part of Misthaven, the capital city of the Enchanted Forest. Her heart thumped heavy as she wondered if she had been to this hotel before.

"She wouldn't…" Regina shook her head. No, it was probably just her mind playing tricks on her, as it often did.

She was trying to talk herself out of this, scare herself out of this as usual. But, she had yet to talk herself out of it. She knew this would not be the first time. So, she put the car in gear and went to find parking. She made sure to check the street signs. She could not chance getting a ticket, having a record that she was here, even though she doubted anyone would make the connection. Still, she could not chance it. She also could not use a parking garage, as they had cameras.

The walk seemed to take forever and she felt ridiculous making the trek in her heels, but it was a necessary evil. She kept a moderate pace, not wanting to work up a sweat, but also not wanting to be on the street for longer than necessary. The last thing she needed was for someone to recognize her, or worse for her to run into someone she knew. She had a story all worked out for why she was in the city, but she would rather not go through it.

Crossing the threshold into the hotel made Regina breathe a sigh of relief, even though the knot in her stomach remained. Glancing around the grand lobby with its bright lights, expensive fountains, and columns, she assured herself it did not look familiar. The way the twist in her stomach tightened, she clearly did not buy it. _Every hotel lobby looks the same. It's fine. It's fine_. Her throat tightened and burned slightly, like acid was so slowly bubbling up from her gut. She rushed to the elevators, heels clicking on the marble floor. It sounded like thunder and she was certain all eyes were on her. _It's nonsense. No one is looking. No one is looking_.

Still, she finally felt slightly better once she was alone in the elevator. At least she could breathe now. She kept her head down as the elevator came to her floor. Knowing there were cameras in the hall, she kept her down, especially as she got to the room. Knocking, she was practically yanked into the room. As soon as the door was closed, warm lips were upon hers, easing the knot in her stomach while stealing the breath from her lungs. Her eyes slid shut as a gentle hand caressed her cheek, quickly replacing most of her anxiety with subtle, calming delight.

"It's only been an hour, but I missed you," Emma breathed against her lips, breaking the kiss.

"I find that hard to believe," Regina answered, eyes half open and a slight smirk in place. She needed to try to save face, even though she craved Emma Swan. She would never understand why, but since her first taste of this woman, she had wanted more. Always more.

Green eyes brightened as Emma smirked right back. "Oh, you know you feel the same way. You probably sat in your car just thinking about me for the hour." She caressed Regina's side.

Even through her clothing, Emma's touch sent little bolts through Regina. _How does she have this effect on me? _Regina doubted she would ever know the answer and, in a few short moments, she would not care to know. For now, though, she needed to keep Emma in her place.

Regina snorted. "Don't think so highly of yourself, Miss Swan. You're not that important." She moved away from the door and looked around the room. _Damn it_. The knot was back in her stomach. This room looked familiar. She was sure of it. She had been here before and she feared it was not with Emma.

"Oh, yeah, says the woman who sat in a car for me for an hour," Emma remarked, smirk still playing on her lips. She put her arm around Regina and noticed her troubled expression. "What's wrong, ba—"

Regina gave her a murderous glare that stopped Emma's words before that terrible term of endearment made it out completely. Emma gave her a nervous grin. Regina's brow furrowed as she looked around the room again. _Have I been here? _She was not sure and she wracked her mind, trying to place the room design.

"I mean, are you all right? You look a little spooked," Emma said, rubbing Regina's shoulder.

Taking a deep breath, Regina shook her head. "No, no. I'm fine." This assurance was more for her than Emma. "Have we been here before?"

Emma shook her head. "I don't think so. I wanted to check it out with you. I've heard very good things and you deserve the best. So far, this place seems pretty classy." Nodding to herself, Emma looked around the room.

Regina forced out a chuckle as she looked around again. _Every hotel room just looks the same to me. That's all_. She had been in so many, after all, not just with Emma, but throughout her life. It was a suite with a den and a bedroom adjacent to it. The den area had a comfortable looking leather sofa against the wall with a matching armchair. There was a large television on the opposite wall. There was a bar by the bedroom doorway.

"So, I called for room service and got us dinner," Emma announced, rubbing her hands together.

Regina arched an eyebrow, not seeing a cart or tray anywhere. "Where?"

Emma grinned proudly. The expression was mostly in her eyes, as Emma's mouth seemed to be made for frowning more than anything else. Nonetheless, it was a bright expression that lit up her whole face whenever she thought she did something amazing. Sometimes Regina indulged her. Other times… well, she could not allow Emma to get too full of herself.

"This is the reason why I wanted to check this place out. Come." Emma took her by the hand and pulled her toward the window.

Regina sighed as if she was exhausted, but allowed herself to be led. Emma pulled open the curtains to reveal the window was actually a pair of glass French doors. They opened to a balcony, allowing them to see a view of the city. Waiting for them on the terrace was a table with dinner, wine, and a bouquet of flowers in the center of the small circular table.

"Please, have a seat, my lady," Emma said, pulling out Regina's chair. She took Regina's jacket from her shoulders as she eased into the seat. Emma hung the coat on the back of the chair as she pushed it in.

"This is lovely setup," Regina admitted before taking a look at what Emma ordered for her.

"That's salmon with brown sugar and something or other. It's supposed to be really good," Emma explained as she moved to sit in her chair.

Regina only offered another smile. Emma had certainly gone above and beyond this time, and this was before she even got to the wine. Emma had rather poor judgment in wine and tended to leave it up to whoever took her order to recommend something if Regina was not around. It was a hit-or-miss strategy, but Regina did not fault her on it. She never expected Emma to know what good wine was.

"I was tempted to order us burgers, but I figure we can do that when I visit Storybrooke," Emma suggested. Instead of a burger, she had a plate of linguine and shrimp with tomatoes. Regina made a mental note of the meal.

"You and Henry can get burgers," Regina corrected her. She did not eat hamburgers… with an audience anyway. Maybe in the privacy of her home with her son, and even that was rare.

"Oh, can we, Mom?" Emma asked with feigned excitement and rolled her eyes.

Regina glared at her. "Keep being smart like that and you'll be grounded."

There was an exaggerated gasp with wide eyes. "But, I had plans to get laid! You can't ground me… but, you can send me to my room." Emma wiggled her eyebrows.

"You're awful." Regina shook her head.

Emma shrugged. "You've called me worse."

"And I will again if you don't let me eat," Regina snapped and then she realized what she said. "And don't make some childish innuendo out of that."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Emma gave her _that_ smile; the one that got her out of so much trouble it was ridiculous. What Regina could not understand was that she knew that damned smile and its purpose, yet it worked every time!

Regina decided to eat her food, if only to get out of having to verbally let Emma off the hook. "How's bounty hunting?" she eventually asked.

"It's not bounty hunting. You always say that. Were you born this annoying?" Emma teased while opening the wine. She poured Regina some.

"Were you?" Regina countered with an arched eyebrow.

Emma gave her an irksome smile. "Probably. My mother seemed to think so."

Regina shook her head. "Just tell me how work is or I might have to grill you about your attire for this so-called date." A teasing smirk settled on her lips as she sipped her wine.

Emma snorted. She had on her usual jeans and a plain blue shirt. Regina would generally say something about that, but whatever she could say had been said. Besides, she had done well with this room, the meal, and even the wine was halfway decent, so Regina could cut her some slack. For now, anyway.

Emma shoved some of her food in her mouth before answering, knowing it annoyed the hell out of Regina when she talked with food in her mouth. "It's been a bit slow, but I'm doing all right for myself. Last week, I tackled a guy that was about three hundred pounds down a flight of stairs. He mostly cushioned my fall. I don't get why a guy that big thought he could run. How about you? You terrorized the denizens of Storybrooke lately?" There was that irksome, amused twinkle in her eyes.

Rolling her eyes, Regina sneered at the blond. "No, but the month is young and I do have access to Hell Hounds. Surely, I can use those."

Emma chuckled. "I could see you commanding Hell Hounds. Too bad they're extinct."

"Save it for your fantasies, Miss Swan."

Emma smirked. "Oh, it's there. It's tucked nicely in between a fantasy of you licking an ice cream cone and that extremely perverse way you eat anything with a spoon."

Regina arched an eyebrow as she pulled her fork from her lips. "Excuse me?"

"And if you keep eating that fish like that, I'll add anything you eat with a fork," Emma remarked. "How's Henry?"

"Fine, of course. You'd see if you'd come back to town more often," Regina commented. Her tone was even, so it did not sound like a suggestion or a shot at Emma. She took another bite of her dinner.

Emma made a face, twisting her nose up. "I'll be back soon enough."

"Just don't bring Henry any more dragons. He has no place to put them anymore."

"I'll just bring him tons of comics."

Regina did not argue. Henry adored comic books and Regina did not mind since they got him to read. He also enjoyed fantasy works, which also got him into history. He loved hearing about when the Enchanted Forest was truly enchanted. There were remnants of the old days still around, but they were history now. His favorite piece of history was dragons. Emma had helped him grow what had once been a rather small collection into something that would probably need its own room soon.

She and Emma continued speaking and eating, catching up on each other's days a bit. Once the meal was over, they left the food there. Regina went to the bedroom while Emma went to make sure she put the "do not disturb" sign out.

Regina stepped out of her heels. As soon as she was flat on the floor, Emma was upon her. Strong arms wrapped around her and Emma pressed against her back. She put one hand on Emma's arm around her while Emma's lips attached to Regina's neck, making her heart race with anticipation already. A light moan escaped Regina and she put her palm to Emma's cheek, caressing the surprisingly soft skin there. When Emma's lips left her neck, Regina turned her head and Emma moved onto her mouth. The angle was awkward and Emma moved, stepping in front of Regina without their lips parting. They barely separated when they needed air.

"I've been thinking about this all day," Emma whispered heatedly, her hand on Regina's hip.

"Just this?" Regina hissed as Emma nipped her earlobe, earning a deep groan from the blond.

"I'm always thinking about you. You know you've bewitched me. A love potion maybe?" Emma teased, handing scratching at Regina's abdomen, causing little jolts through the shorter woman.

"I wouldn't need a love potion on you. Not to mention, how would it look for the mayor of a town to use an illegal substance on a pseudo law enforcement agent?" Regina purred, knowing the sound drove Emma wild.

"Pseudo?" Emma chortled, fingers drumming against Regina's stomach. "I take offense to that. I think I'll take it out on your body."

A wicked smile curled onto Regina's face. "I'd like to see you try."

Emma gave a dark chuckle before diving back in and taking command of Regina's mouth. While Emma's tongue tried to dominate Regina's, Emma's fingers made quick work of the buttons on Regina's shirt. Once the shirt was open, Emma wasted no time running her fingers along Regina's skin, making her body tingle.

Regina tried her best not to moan, but it was very much impossible. Small noises escaped her as Emma caressed her. Each touch made Regina's body hunger for Emma all the more, which only made it harder and harder to suppress her moans. Emma's fingers wandered under her breasts, teasing the edges of her red satin bra, but going no further. Each touch made her blood hotter and she whined, silently imploring more. Emma ended their kiss, pulling away slightly.

"Down," Emma ordered, pushing Regina back to the bed.

"No," Regina growled. It would not do to let Emma think she was completely in charge. After all, she was probably already going to be insufferable after making Regina whine.

A golden eyebrow arched. "No?"

"You're not the boss of me, Miss Swan." The power would go to Emma's head if she were.

There was another throaty laugh and before Regina could figure out what Emma was up, the blond picked her up bridal style. Regina's arms automatically went around Emma's neck while Emma carried her onto the queen-sized bed. Kissing Regina again, Emma gently lowered her gently to the bed.

Regina kept her arms around Emma's neck, bringing Emma down with her. Emma's hands continued to blaze a trail across her wanting skin, causing small moans to escape Regina's mouth, only for them to be devoured by Emma. She clutched Emma's shoulders as her body burned for Emma's touch. Breaking the kiss, Regina pinned Emma with demanding eyes.

"Off." Regina tugged at Emma's shirt. She was tempted to rip it off. She could buy Emma a dozen more later… or buy her a dozen much better shirts.

"You're not the boss of me, Mayor of Storybrooke," Emma remarked with a smug look.

Regina pretended to think that over as she rolled a piece of Emma's shirt between her fingers. "No, I'm not, but you will have to eventually undress for things to continue."

The look on Emma's face was priceless, her mouth hanging open and her eyes bugged out, as she had no counter for this logic. So, instead of just admitting Regina had her, Emma attacked her neck, nipping at her flesh as if trying to devour and savor her at the same time. Emma was careful about leaving marks, but she had a thing for necks, or maybe just Regina's neck. Whichever the case, it made Regina's heart race, her blood hot, and other parts of her body melt.

"So good," Emma panted against her neck, blunt nails scratching at Regina's sides, feeling as much of her as she could.

Regina groaned in agreement and made herself busy by pulling up Emma's shirt until she had to take it off. Emma let loose a short whine and she pulled away to rid herself of her shirt. Not to mention, the tank top she had underneath it and her bra. Regina licked her lips as the sight of puckered rosy nipples and creamy breasts. Regina wanted them in her mouth now.

Regina sat up, planning to take a delicious gem in her mouth, but Emma halted her by reaching for her shirt to take it all the way off. She helped, shrugging out of the damned thing. Emma cupped her breasts through her bra before she could go back to what she was doing. Moaning, Regina arched into Emma's touch.

"These are awesome," Emma whispered before moving into kiss Regina's right breast. "The boobs that launched a thousand ships."

Regina groaned. "I really should start gagging you."

"But, you'd miss the things I do with my mouth." Emma outright bit the swell in her hand, drawing out a loud whimper from Regina.

Emma soothed the mark, lapping at it with her tongue. Regina held onto the back of Emma's head, running her fingers through fine, golden spun hair. Emma pulled back, eyes stuck on Regina's chest.

"Now, even though this is really nice…" Emma dragged her finger along Regina's bra cup and paused at the center of it. "I'd rather see what's under it." Green eyes looked up at Regina. "Front clasp? You naughty vixen." She popped it open.

"I really should—" Regina gasped and her words were lost as Emma latched onto her right nipple and sucked.

"What's that?" Emma inquired, keeping Regina's flesh between her teeth.

Regina growled and tugged at Emma's hair. "Just get on with it, Miss Swan."

Emma merely laughed as she brushed Regina's bra aside. Emma's tongue flicked and lapped before her lips closed around the gem in her grip. Regina mewed and stretched, trying to push more of her body into Emma's mouth. Emma's hand occupied the other, pinching and tugging, drawing noises from Regina. Emma knew how to get vocals from her that no other lover could possibly hope for.

Regina tried to make it a point to be reserved, never wanting to let lover think she could be controlled. But, Emma… just her name made Regina groan aloud. Her actions never failed to leave Regina almost embarrassingly slick and ready. This girl knew just what to do and how to do it. _How can she do this to me? _Regina doubted she would ever know and, again, in a few seconds she would not care.

"Fates…" Regina breathed, massaging Emma's scalp with the hope it would keep Emma just where she was.

Emma had other plans, though. Her lips moved from Regina's breasts down her chest to her stomach. One hand remained, toying with very willing cleavage while the other ran up and down Regina's side, blazing a trail of desire. Emma's tongue slid down to Regina's navel and circled it before dipping in.

"This is a very cute bellybutton. I wonder what you'd look like with a piercing," Emma grinned.

Regina did her best to glare at her, but from the way the blond was smiling, Regina knew she failed miserably. "Never."

"No, of course. Prime and proper Regina could never defile her body like that." Emma snickered and kissed Regina's navel.

Regina hissed, almost drowning out the sound of her zipper going down. Before she knew it, she was naked. Emma shed her own clothing faster than Regina would have thought possible, if only she had not seen Emma do it even faster. Emma looked at her while she smirked and beckoned Emma to her with a crook of her finger.

"You're so fucking hot," Emma muttered.

A smile slid onto Regina's face without her permission. There was something about seeing the awe and adoration in Emma's eyes when she stared that always stirred up emotions inside of Regina. She tried to push them down, get rid of them, as they would do no good for either of them.

"Come here," Regina purred.

Emma all but dived back on the bed. Kissing was inevitable and they both moaned as their bodies pressed together, hot skin making passions burn brighter. Regina grabbed onto Emma with one hand at her back while the other pressed against Emma's breast. She kneaded the soft mound, relishing in the soft skin and the small sounds coming from the blond. Her thumb flicked Emma's puckered nipple. Emma pulled away from Regina's mouth just to let loose a short whimper.

Regina leaned forward, dragging her teeth down Emma's shoulder, earning more noises from the blond. She loved the taste of Emma's skin and the smell of her body. She rained kisses down on whatever part of Emma she could reach. Suddenly, Emma growled and pulled away. She frowned at Regina.

"No, you don't. Don't try to turn this on me. It's about you, making you relax," Emma said, panting a little.

"Relax?" Regina yelped at the end of the question as Emma's hand settled on the inside of her thigh.

There was no explanation, no answer to Regina's question. Emma was too busy, one hand stroking Regina's thigh, the other caressing her side, and her mouth was back on Regina's. Regina held on tight and her breath hitched as Emma's fingers wandered ever so closer to where she wanted them.

"Do get on with it," Regina hissed.

Emma bit her on the shoulder, making her hiss as pleasure pulsed through her. "My show. My pace. So, shut up."

"Don't you—" Regina's head fell back and a moan spilled from her lips as Emma slid one finger inside of her. Emma's palm pressed against her, sending a pleasant hum through her body. She wanted more, though, and clutched Emma tightly to convey that message.

"Want more?" Emma asked with a teasing grin as she wiggled her finger, as small ripples jolted through Regina.

Regina did her best to swallow down a moan, not wanting to give Emma the satisfaction from her childish behavior. "Miss Swan," she growled. Well, it was supposed to be a growl. It sounded a little strangled. It was hard to be articulate with Emma moving, even slightly, inside of her.

Chuckling, Emma leaned down, giving her a soft peck on the lips and easing her finger in and out slowly. "You know I just think it's sexy when you do that and it makes me want to tease you more." Another soft peck and Regina growled again. "God, that forehead vein. I just wanna drag my tongue over it," Emma murmured and then took Regina by surprise, adding another finger.

There would definitely been nail marks in Emma's shoulders later, but Regina did not care. She needed something to hold onto as Emma moved within her and had the heel of her hand against Regina. Moving her body some, Emma shifted so that she straddled Regina's thigh and had her own thigh pressed against to her hand. She used her thigh for more force and Regina held tighter, her head thrown back in pleasure.

"That's right, baby. Lemme hear you," Emma whispered, leaning down to nip at Regina's chest.

"Call me – ah! – Call me 'baby' again and I'll—" The threat was consumed by another moan as Emma curled her fingers. Regina was helpless against Emma, unable to concentrate on anything except what this woman could do to her body, the bliss only she could provide. It was all consuming, like burning and drowning at once.

"I'll call you what I want," Emma whispered before she took Regina's nipple back into her mouth.

Regina gave herself over to the pleasure Emma inspired throughout her body. Whimpering and moaning with each movement, delighting in everything Emma did to her, gave to her. Those fingers, lips, teeth, and tongue were everything as they made her climb higher and higher into sheer ecstasy. All she could go was hold tight, nails digging into whatever part of Emma she could reach, and moan like it was a language unto itself, a language only she and Emma spoke.

"Come on, baby. Let go. Just let go," Emma whispered and she kissed Regina softly.

Why these words always worked, Regina would never know, but like clockwork, as soon as Emma said them and kissed her, Regina's body was swept away in her pleasure. Her back bowed and she gritted her teeth as wave after wave of elation washed over her, blending the world with intense colors and sounds. Emma gave her another gentle kiss, which added another delightful shock.

As Regina's body calmed, Emma continued stroking her, slowly, wanting to give her a soft landing rather than rile her back up. Once her breathing was back to normal, Emma eased out of her and kissed her once more.

"You are gorgeous," Emma said as she settled down next to Regina.

"And you called me 'baby' again," Regina growled.

Green eyes sparkled as Emma focused on her. "Oh, you noticed that, huh?"

Regina's response was to push Emma onto her back and kiss her fiercely. Emma moaned as she allowed Regina's tongue into her mouth. Regina moaned as well, reveling in Emma's taste as always along with the movement of her lips and tongue. It was like they were built to kiss each other.

Regina moved on top of Emma, making sure not to break the kiss. Her skin ignited again as she felt Emma's body pressed against hers. It was like energy passed between them, feeding their addiction. She put her thigh between Emma's legs.

"I had that already. I want more," Emma remarked, referring to Regina's thigh.

"You'll have what I give you and like it," Regina growled. Emma bit at Regina's lip in reply. "Those teeth will get you in trouble, Miss Swan."

"You love it." Emma smiled.

Regina shook her head, hating she found this woman oddly adorable. Emma smiled at her again and she leaned down, kissing her slowly, leisurely. They both enjoyed the pace.

Emma's hands wandered Regina's body, settling on her ass. Regina eased her body down, making Emma lose one of her favorite playthings. A high pitch whine escaped Emma's mouth, but Regina ignored the sound, much too busy kissing her way down a delicious, creamy throat.

While Emma was the biter between them, Regina preferred kissing and sucking. It allowed her to savor every inch of Emma's body. She enjoyed Emma like one would enjoy a piece of hard candy, especially when she reached succulent breasts and their delectable toppings.

Regina wrapped her lips around Emma's plump, pink nipple and suckled as if this was all she would do for the rest of her life. Beneath her, Emma panted and whimpered, muttering curses as if they were salvation. When Regina switched sides, needing each gem to know its importance, Emma shuddered.

"You're… you're…" Emma tried to say.

Regina knew Emma was about to make some smart remark. After all, the blond could not help herself. To avoid hearing unnecessary comments, Regina reached a hand down and lightly caressed Emma, feeling how badly Emma wanted her all over her fingers.

"Damn it," Emma hissed and moved, trying to keep up with Regina's hand.

"Stop, Miss Swan. You know what I want," Regina warned her.

"Then go get it," Emma demanded.

"Eventually," Regina answered lightly and then went back to her task. With her lips wrapped around Emma's nipple, her tongue ran back and forth over the gem.

"Regina," Emma whined.

Regina continued to ignore her. As she felt more and more of Emma's desire on her fingers, though, she had to move on. While suckling was nice, Regina preferred to drink of Emma more than anything else. So, she began to kiss her way down Emma's body.

"Yes," Emma breathed, fingertips floating across Regina's back as she slid further down. Eventually, she lost contact with Regina's skin. "Yes!" she cried as Regina hit her destination.

Emma Swan was an acquired taste and Regina had acquired it, unable to get enough. She was sweet in the tongue with a hint of salty tang. Regina began with slow licks, up and down, but eventually had to have Emma's pearl in her mouth. Emma flung her leg onto Regina's shoulder and moaned loudly. Regina needed to see Emma's face when she crested and her name spilled from Emma's lips.

"Fuck," Emma growled, hands crawling at the bed as Regina slid a finger into her.

Seeing her and feeling her peak would be a fit end. So, Regina sucked and licked as her finger pumped in and out. And, then Emma exploded, bent and pouring. Her eyes closed, her breathing deep, and her whole body flushed. She was beautiful.

"Regina!" Emma sobbed.

"I have you," Regina promised, holding Emma close. She had Emma. And, then Emma managed to wrap an arm around her. So, Emma had her as well.

-8-8-8-8-

The room was dark. There was no reason to turn on a light and the sun had gone down some time ago. It did not matter to Emma, though. The only thing she cared about was Regina lying next to her, relaxed and calm. This called for kissing. Pulling Regina on top of her, Emma pressed her lips to Regina's and Regina returned the kiss.

Emma ran her fingers through Regina's perfect hair. Kissing Regina had to equal perfection, so making love with Regina something even more. This one perfection in a life of faults and damages. Had she earned this? Was this the reason for all of the hardship, heartache, and disappointment? She doubted it. This was probably just a set up for some other letdown, but until that moment came, she would savor this, savor the kisses, savor Regina.

"Babe, as awesome as kissing you is, aren't you gonna do something else?" Emma teased.

Regina growled; it was the sexiest sound. Of course, almost everything about Regina was pure sex. Every now and then, Emma would entertain the thought that Regina was one of the old gods, alive and bewitching. She was too much to be human.

Regina glared at her. "And now you've called me 'babe.' You must really want to enrage me."

"No, I want you in me, not en-raged."

Regina narrowed her gaze. "You think you're cute."

"No, you think I'm cute." Playing with Regina should not be this fun, but it was. Regina would come right back at her. Sometimes, Regina would outright snap and she had very sharp teeth, metaphorically speaking. But, it just made Emma come back for more. Maybe that was unhealthy, but she could not bring herself to care.

Regina only growled again and then dragged those sharp teeth down Emma's throat. Emma's body trembled already, wanting, needing. She was not sure how she survived before Regina.

Regina placed wet kisses from Emma's chin down to the valley between Emma's breasts. Emma wondered if Regina could feel her heart racing when one of those kisses landed just above it. Emma whimpered and wiggled while Regina covered her torso in sweet kisses. Adoring hands trailed up and down her sides and hips, leaving a low hum of bliss in their wake. For all of her thoughts that Regina could be a god, Emma noted Regina seemed to worship at the altar of her body.

Slowly, Regina drew Emma's left nipple into her mouth and toyed with it like a bit of candy as she had a habit of doing. Arching her back, Emma tried to push more of her body into Regina's mouth and hands. The ecstasy Regina brought forth was feather light, but promised to gain more weight as Regina's mouth drifted lower and her hands attended to Emma's aching nipples.

The first swipe of Regina's tongue pulled an almost animalistic noise from Emma throat before Regina stole all the air from her lungs. Her tongue and lips loved Emma in a way Emma did not think was possible. Again, her hands went to Regina's hair as her breathing increased and her pleasure soared. Regina barely pushed one finger inside of her before she peaked once more, crying out loud enough to hurt her throat.

As Emma settled down, she noticed Regina watching her. Regina had her chin resting on Emma's thigh and her fingers lightly drumming against Emma's knee. Regina smirked, like she knew just what the hell she did. Of course, she knew. Now, Emma would like to figure out how a prime and proper lady like Regina Mills knew the things she did.

"You give me a minute and I'm gonna get your back," Emma vowed.

Regina continued to smirk. "Take all the time you need, but one would think a bounty hunter would have more stamina."

Emma scowled down at her. "I don't get complaints."

"I do believe you just got one."

"I'll change your mind soon enough. Now, come up here," she ordered.

Regina bit her thigh, making her moan. Emma frowned at her even more. Regina had mercy on her and crawled back up her body, settling against her side. Emma wasted no time wrapping her arm around Regina's shoulder and pulling her as close as possible. Emma liked the small weight and figure pressed against her. Regina relaxed her and she hoped she returned the favor.

"You feeling better?" Emma asked, thumb caressing soft skin. She was not sure if she had ever felt such perfect skin. How did Regina get her skin so amazing?

"What do you mean?" Regina replied, her hand against Emma's hip.

"You were tense when you came in. You okay?" _If not, what can I do?_

"Oh." Regina was silent for a while. "I just thought the hotel seemed a bit familiar."

"You're worried about your fiancé showing up?" Emma guessed. Her eyes strayed to the ring on Regina's finger. Even with her current circumstances, Emma doubted she would be able to match the glitz of that rock. Regina had on the biggest diamond Emma had ever seen.

Regina looked at her, lovely honey brown eyes, deeper and more expressive than she was sure Regina would like. "No, not him."

Regina was engaged. Emma did not know who the guy was and did not want to know who he was. She did not want to know his name or anything about him. He had Regina and that was enough for Emma to hate him, even if she knew Regina was not happy with the engagement.

Despite the fact that the Enchanted Forest had changed much since the Middle Ages, arranged marriages and forced marriages were still practiced. Usually, it was amongst the nobility, but it was also not unusual for nobles to find pretty little peasants to wed them as well. Regina was not a peasant by far. She was the surviving heir to Prince Henry of Castia. But, Castia did not exist anymore, finding itself on the extremely losing side of a war some twenty-five years… if Emma was remembering that correctly anyway. She had not been alive during the time and was a horrible history student in school.

"If you're not worrying about him, then who the hell are you worrying about?" Emma inquired, brow furrowed. She figured he would be the only thing Regina had to worry about. Surely he was some big shot noble and he would not be happy to find his fiancée cheating on him.

"It's… it's my mother…" Regina whispered, so low Emma thought she imagined it. But, the way Regina's body tensed against hers, she knew she heard right.

"Your mother?" How the hell could Regina's mother make her so upset?

"She can't see us together. She can't know." Brown eyes implored her and looked at Emma with such fear, more fear than a grown woman should have of her mother.

Emma held her tighter. "She won't. It'll be all right, Regina. I'll be careful and I'll scout the hotels better if you want me to."

Regina only nodded. Emma leaned down and kissed Regina's forehead. In this moment, she wanted to protect Regina with everything inside of her, wanted to keep Regina by her, and stay in this little bubble forever. This place where everything was perfect and Regina was hers. But, life would get in the way, as it always did.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Emma goes to Storybrooke to spend time with Regina and Henry.


	2. Passing Through

I don't own these characters.

And this story now has a beta, so thank you MagicalInsanity for your work on this tale.

2: Passing Through

Emma practically grinned as she sped pass the "Welcome to Storybrooke" sign. Crossing the town line made her giddy inside in a way that nothing else ever had or probably ever would. The backseat of her car was filled bags, full of board games, video games, and books for a certain Henry Mills. There were a couple of things for his mother, too. She was eager to see both of them, even though she had just seen Regina a few days ago.

Hardly a couple of minutes into town, bright lights flashed behind her. Emma sucked her teeth and pulled over. A police cruiser eased up behind her and stopped a couple of feet from her car. Emma chuckled when she watched Graham swagger out of his car with a smug grin on his face. _Could he be any more of an idiot?_ _Does he honestly think he's cool?_ She exited the car with a smirk.

"How is that you always manage to pull me over? Are you like the only cop in town?" Emma asked. It was a joke she told often, even though from what she could tell it was true. He had several part-time deputies, but there did not seem to be a need for any full-time support. Storybrooke was probably the safest place she had ever been.

"How is it your work brings you through my little town several times a month?" he countered, clapping her on the shoulder.

Emma laughed and shrugged off his hand as best she could without being rude. She was not much of a "toucher" while Graham seemed to go out of his way to touch her or be close to her. She understood that was how some people were with friends, but she just was not like that. He never seemed offended or upset when she wiggled out of his grasp, so maybe he understood, but could not curb his habit of touching.

"This place has grown on me, so anytime I need to go north or east, I end up here," she explained. It was the truth.

Nodding, he smiled proudly. "It is a cozy little place, isn't it?"

Emma looked around. It was a small, sleepy town. It got very cold in the winter with tons of snow, which helped its economy as people came in droves for the skiing. In the summer, they had people come to the woods for camping, fishing, hunting, and other outdoor things like that. But, most of the year, it was one of those towns where everyone knew everyone. Emma always imagined places like this would bore her to tears, but Storybrooke had grown on her. Sure, it all started with the town's uptight, cranky, rather bitchy mayor, but she had friends here now.

"You going to see Regina and Henry?" Graham inquired, even though that was a given and everyone knew that.

"Of course. Them, probably pop in to see Ruby and check up on town gossip, and I was going to come see you, but here you are, as always," Emma replied.

Graham scoffed. "Coming to see me. Please, if I didn't pull you over every time you crossed the town line, I'd never see you until I got to the Rabbit Hole and you'd already be there with Ruby, three sheets to the wind."

Emma gave him another shrug and put her hands in her front pockets… well, tried to put her hands in her front pockets, but could only fit her fingers halfway down. "What can I say? She holds her liquor better than you do." Not to mention, Ruby kept Emma informed about the good sheriff, so she knew if he had been sniffing around Regina. Regina would never admit to it, after all.

He let loose a chuckle and shook his head. "Anyway. Just stop speeding through here. The town might be small, but there are still kids."

"And possibly a horse and buggy," she teased.

"We're small, not ancient. You'd do well to stop making fun of us. People have mistaken you for a townie, after all," he pointed out.

Rolling her eyes, Emma could not argue that. She spent a lot of time in town and was running out of excuses for being there so often. It was careless, but she did not care. This was the one place she wanted to be. She just had to use caution in showing that.

"Well, one of us has to get back to work and it might as well be me since you're never following anyone too dangerous when you come through here," Graham remarked, running his hands through his hair.

Emma laughed and waved him off. "Sometimes I come through here after I've caught the bad guy, just so you know. Now isn't one of those times, but it happens."

Giving her one more laugh and staring for a moment in silence, he turned to go back to his car, waving as he left. She got back into her car and drove to Granny's Diner. She had some time before Henry got out of school and more still before Regina was done doing… whatever the hell a mayor did. _I might want to ask about that_ _without making my "bored" face this time_.

"Emma!" Ruby squealed as soon as Emma walked through the door. Ruby rushed over, hugging her as if it had been years since they had seen each other. Emma had just been in town a week ago… and now that she thought about it, she might have made this visit too soon. Too late to do anything about that now.

"Hey, Ruby." Emma returned the hug, but then quickly stepped away. She was never really a hugger, but Ruby was and Ruby did not seem to think someone might not be a hugger. Emma wondered if the touching and closeness had to do with being a werewolf, but she never bothered to ask.

"How long are you in town for?" Ruby asked with a smile.

Emma put her hands in her pockets, again as best she could, and shrugged. "Just today. I'm going up north to grab up a runner. You know how it is."

Ruby nodded. "So, you're going to spend the day with Henry?"

"And Regina. You know she doesn't let him out of her sight." Emma moved to sit at the counter.

Smiling, Ruby shook her head. "I don't know how you can stand it. I mean, I like the mayor and all. I'll vote for her again when time comes, but she's… I don't even think there's words to describe her."

"I'll agree with you there." There certainly were no words for Regina, but the townspeople seemed to think that was because Regina was damned scary and walked around like her shit did not stink. For Emma, there were no words because Regina was willing to share Henry with her. Of course, that took a lot of work, annoyance, and a damn near death experience, but they made it there.

Ruby scanned the diner quickly, probably to make sure no one needed her. The place was not particularly crowded since it was the middle of the day. She then turned her complete attention back to Emma. "So, any chance of us catching a drink or something before you go?"

"Probably not. I just wanted to hang out with Henry for a couple of hours. I'll come back this way when I'm done with my job, though. We'll catch up then. I mean, not like I have any other place to be," Emma said.

Ruby nodded and then someone waved her over to their table. "Okay, sounds good. Well, lemme get back to work. If you're still around in a few minutes, we can talk. I'll be on break."

That sounded good, so Emma turned to see who was behind the counter. Granny was there and served up hot chocolate and a bear claw seconds after she put her butt on the stool. This sort of familiarity would have bothered Emma not too long ago, but she had learned to deal with it. This town and these people accepted her, not because they had to, but because they wanted to.

Even calling Granny "Granny" would have been a big deal a few short years ago. Emma had no problem with street names, but nicknames and monikers that were practically terms of affection had been lost on her. But, Granny had insisted. Then, when Emma became friends with Ruby, it was almost an order. It took a while, but now she could not imagine calling Granny anything else.

"Don't let my granddaughter get you into too much trouble," Granny remarked with a smirk.

Emma chuckled. "It's nice for someone to think I'm the good one for a change."

Granny gave her a look that made her suspect Granny knew with her and Ruby it was more a mutual troublemaking more than one or the other. Emma enjoyed her hot chocolate and her pastry. Ruby sat down with her for a few minutes, too.

"You might as well live here with the way you keep coming through. Henry's grown on you that much?" Ruby asked.

"He's adorable. You know he has," Emma answered.

Ruby laughed. "Yeah, he has that effect on everyone. But, I guess since you're his hero, it's even more so."

"Believe me, it's not hard to be a hero to a seven-year-old." Of course, when it first happened, it frightened the hell out of her, but that was about a year ago. Within that time, lots of things had changed. She had changed.

Ruby snorted and drummed her nails against the counter. "Says you."

"Says me. So, how's things going with you and Doctor Creep?"

There was a long snort accompanied by an eye roll. "As you can imagine. He's a creep."

"Broke up with him?" Emma hoped, not caring that it came across in her tone and her smile. She considered Ruby her best friend, and she knew those were hard to come by, and it bothered her to find out Ruby was dating the most misogynistic man Emma had ever met. And she had met a lot considering the life she led.

"Yeah. I broke up with him. I caught the bastard in bed with one of his nurses." Ruby's shoulders dropped and she sighed.

Now, Emma rolled her eyes. She was sure that was not the first time he had been in bed with one of his nurses. She had warned Ruby about getting involved with Victor Whale, but life taught her some lessons needed to be learned on their own. But, she really wished she could have saved Ruby this heartache.

"It's cool, Rubes. We'll have a girl's night and pick you up a nice guy. If push comes to shove, I'll have Regina scare 'em and you can come in and save the guy from her before she decapitates him… or whatever the hell you guys seem to think she'll do if she gets angry," Emma remarked.

Ruby laughed. "We've got the running gag that she'll do like witches in the past, pull your heart out through your chest. All the kids around here are convinced she can do it. Hell, some of the adults might believe it, too."

"Which explains why they're scared as shit of her. How the hell did she get elected as mayor?" She figured the way the town cowered at the mere mention of Regina's name, she could not have been elected dog catcher, let alone mayor.

Ruby shrugged. "She uses her powers for good. She's a good sport about it. During Past Day, she always dresses up as a witch and tells the kids stories about when there were witches and so much magic in the land almost anyone could wield. She also bakes them sweets and things. She's good with kids and she does her job."

Smiling, Emma nodded. She always felt proud and somewhat light whenever someone spoke kindly of Regina. She wanted to puff out her chest and brag about how Regina was hers, but she could not do that. After all, Regina was engaged to some lucky bastard who was not her. Remembering that made her frown.

"Ruby, I need to get going if I want to surprise Henry. I'll bring him by for a snack or something," Emma said.

"Regina is going to kill you if you spoil his dinner, you do know that, right?"

Emma tossed her a boastful grin. "She can't kill me. I'm way too adorable." _Besides, even if she did pull out hearts, she's got mine already_. She shook that thought away. Again, Regina was someone else's and it would do her well to keep that at the forefront of her mind.

Ruby only laughed. Emma dropped down some money to pay for her bill and then drove off to Storybrooke Elementary School. She only had to wait a few minutes before the classes let out. She got out of the car and leaned against it.

"Emma!" Henry called out, charging off of his class line. His book bag bounced up and down as he bounded toward her.

Laughing, Emma caught him and hugged him tightly. He giggled as she ruffled his hair. Before meeting him and being around him, she thought things like picking a kid up from school and hair-ruffling were things in television shows. He showed her a very different side of childhood and Regina showed her a different side of motherhood. It had perplexed her early on, but she learned as she went.

As she put him down, Emma made eye contact with his teacher. They were familiar enough for the teacher to know it was all right Emma to pick Henry up. They waved at each other, just to acknowledge they saw each other and then Emma turned her attention back to the kid.

"Ready to go get some milkshakes, kid?" Emma proposed as they got into the car.

Henry hopped in the front seat, even though Emma was aware he would never even think to do that in Regina's car. He bulked his seatbelt without needing to be told and glanced at Emma, making sure she had done the same. Once they were both fastened in, she pulled off.

"Does Mom know we're doing this?" Henry asked.

"Nope. Can we try to keep this a secret longer than an hour this time?" she teased.

Instead of lying, he grinned at her, letting her know he would rat her out the second Regina asked what they had been up to. The kid did not seem to believe in lying. Emma was not sure if it was his age or if Regina had just raised him that way or if it was part of his personality. Either way, Emma did not know kids were like this until she met him. Sometimes, she could not believe this kid came out of her. _Nature versus nurture my ass_.

"You just like getting me in trouble, don't you?" Henry remarked.

Emma laughed. "I wouldn't get in trouble if you could just keep a secret!"

-8-8-8-8-

Regina sat at her desk, reviewing documents. She wanted to rush through work, but she could not. She took her work very seriously and understood the town depended on her, so she had to be thorough and careful. But, Emma was in town and she wanted to spend time with her.

"I've never felt this way before, except with…" She could not say the name. _Daniel_. As soon as the thought floated across her mind, she shook her head. No one would ever make her feel what Daniel felt and it did not matter anyway. Daniel was gone and she was being forced to get married.

The ring on her finger felt heavier than usual and the ring around her neck burned. Shaking the feeling away, she thought of Emma and Henry, undoubtedly eating ice cream or having milkshakes right now. Emma trying to involve Henry in some conspiracy and finding he was only good for those when they were his own. A smiled settled on her face until she saw what was next on her desk. The old mine.

"Of course this would come up when Emma's in town." She needed to decide what to do with the area. It was too dangerous to just leave it fenced off and hope for the best. She knew better than that now, even if people continued grumbling about how it was a historical landmark. It was also very dangerous.

Her heart clenched in her chest and she could not focus for a long moment. Her mind just wandered to Henry. Sweet, precious Henry. _My son_. She felt panicked and trapped, ready to claw at the walls of her office, but she quickly shook it off. _Henry's fine_. _He's with Emma_. Of course, him being with Emma had once been a problem. _But, it's not now. He's fine. She's fine_. _Just get through work and you'll see_.

There were numerous proposals on what to do about the old mine, but she could not read them. The sentences, words, and letters all blended together. She would look through them later. Right now, she just wanted to see her son and Emma and make certain they were all right. They were all she could think about. So, she packed everything up and in a rush out of the door told her assistant she was done for the day.

Instead of going to _Granny's_, where she knew Emma and Henry were just from habit, she went grocery shopping. Since Emma was in town, she would make a special dinner, something both Henry and Emma would enjoy. Besides, it would give Emma time to bond with Henry. _She needs and deserves that time_.

Once dinner was picked up, she went home and flipped through the proposals for a short time. She still could not concentrate and decided to just move onto dinner. She had only started making the dough and preparing the lobster before she heard the front door open.

"Make sure those shoes are off," Regina called to them. Even though both Emma and Henry knew the rules, they would clump through the house with all of the outside dirt clinging to their shoes.

She could hear them grumbling, as they were wont to do when reminded of the rules. Less than a minute after that, she had arms wrapped around her waist. Henry hugged her tighter when Emma was around for some reason. Regina did not question it and looked down at his smiling face. A couple of feet away, Emma stood with the same smile, though smaller, holding a small bouquet of flowers.

"You started dinner?" Emma asked the obvious. Something she was prone to doing when she did not know what else to do. She shifted from foot to foot.

"Oh, you're making pizza!" Henry bounced on his heels.

Emma arched an eyebrow. "You're making pizza?"

"A special type of pizza. So, how about you two go make yourselves busy while I handle this," Regina suggested, shooing them away with a flicker of the wrist.

Henry wasted no time retreating from the room. "Come on, Emma. We can play video games."

"You can do homework first, young man," Regina called to him as he disappeared into the living room.

Emma chuckled. "You'd think he didn't know that." She stepped closer.

"He's just excited to see you, as always."

Emma wrapped an arm around Regina and eased closer to her. "Now, if only his mother was excited to see me."

Feigning annoyance, Regina turned away. "His mother is trying to cook and if you don't want to end up eating _Granny's_ for dinner, I suggest you not distract her."

Emma just pressed closer, pushing as always. "Oh, but I bought flowers for her and planned to kiss a bit while the kid was out of the room."

Regina could not help laughing and she turned, giving Emma a soft peck on the lips. Emma leaned forward, thinking she would get more. Regina chuckled and turned back to what she was doing, finishing the dough. Scowling, Emma let loose a low growl.

"I have flowers for you. I think I deserve more than that," Emma huffed.

"I'm making you pizza and lobster rolls. I think I deserve more than flowers," Regina countered.

Emma just growled again before leaning down and kissing Regina properly. Regina should be upset, she really should be. This sort of thing was inappropriate to do with Henry nearby, but then Emma bit at her bottom lip and slid her tongue into Regina's mouth and it was hard to remember what was appropriate for where. A moan echoed through the kitchen, bouncing off the walls. Regina could feel her heart rate accelerate and then Emma pulled away as Henry called for her.

"Come on, Emma! If you help me with math, we can play Smash Brothers!" Henry shouted.

Regina groaned. "This is your influence on him. You have him screaming through the house like a barbarian."

Emma squared her shoulders and smiled proudly. "Every little kid should be a little barbarian."

Regina just glared at her and Emma wisely made a hasty retreat, even taking the flowers with her. Later on, Regina would not be surprised to find them on the living room coffee table in a vase with water. She went back to work, throwing together what she would consider junk food. Henry would find it a treat and Emma would just think it was dinner.

By the time everything was done, Regina could hear Emma and Henry whooping over whatever video game they played. She would have to check his homework and make sure it was truly done, and correct, before he went to bed. It was not that Emma could not be trusted to help him, but Emma would take his word for if he claimed he was done, which he would do if it meant playing games sooner.

Regina walked to the living room opening and watched the pair for a moment. Henry giggled while Emma nudged him with her shoulder, undoubtedly trying to get him to mess up. In retaliation, he leaned over and pressed buttons on her controller. Regina smiled a bit. _She's good for him_.

Before Emma, Henry really did not have anyone to do these sorts of things with. Sometimes, Graham would come over and play with him, but not as often as Henry would like. And, alas, Henry was introverted, perhaps because she was the same, so he did not have many friends and all of those were in school. No one ever came to their house after school to spend time with him and he did not like going over to other children's homes. In Emma, he had a friend to do things he liked. He would spend time with Regina, but usually for other interests, like reading or hearing stories.

"Dinner's ready," Regina informed them.

"Pizza," Henry cheered, pausing game. He moved quickly to the table while Emma took her time rising to her feet.

"That game looks new," Regina noted.

Emma shrugged. "I wanted him to have a chance to lose at something besides Smash Brothers."

Regina shook her head. "What else did you bring this trip?"

"I bought him Trouble and Guess Who. I figure we can all play when I get back."

Regina nodded. It sounded nice, but then she realized Emma said more than that. "When you get back?"

"Yeah, I'm supposed to be on a job and I stopped here before I get to where I know the guy is. A day isn't going to make a difference. But, after I catch him, I'll come back and stay a few days. Okay?"

Regina shrugged, as if it did not matter to her, but she was already planning out meals and activities for all three of them. She would need to find out how many days Emma planned to stay on the return trip before she left. They went to the table, Henry already waiting, staring at the homemade pizza. Regina passed the slicer to Emma, letting her divide the pizza.

"There's lobster rolls, too? Today is awesome." Henry grinned as Emma handed him a slice of pizza. There were pieces of lobster meat sprinkled on as a topping along with peppers and grape tomatoes. Next to the pizza, there were a few lobster rolls, which would undoubtedly be taken care of after the pizza. There was also a bowl of salad, just because Regina needed something green in a meal or she felt like Henry was not getting proper nutrition.

"You know, I don't think I've had lobster on pizza until I started hanging out with you two," Emma remarked.

"Well, I never made pizza until you showed up," Regina countered. Henry would ask, but she did not see the point in making a whole pizza for just the two of them.

Emma playfully sneered at her. "Why is it always a contest with you?"

"You're just upset because I always win," Regina replied with a smirk. Henry laughed at them before biting into his dinner.

"Hey, I think I get my licks in, too." Emma then wiggled her eyebrows.

"Really, Miss Swan. Henry's present," Regina scolded her for being lewd, not that Henry understood what she meant.

Emma just gave her a grin. He looked between them, but did not ask any questions. They ate in silence. Regina was not surprised Henry tried to eat more than usual. He often tried to match Emma when she was around in food. So, when Emma was on her third slice, he tried to hurry through his second.

"Henry, remember, you want to save room for your lobster roll. And you should eat some of your salad," Regina told him.

"You made the lobster rolls just for me, didn't you?" Emma asked with a grin. There was that mischievous twinkle in her eye, which she imagined used to get Emma into all sorts of trouble as a child.

Regina just rolled her eyes. She would never admit to doing anything special for Emma, even though the only time she made lobster rolls was when Emma was around. The pizza was for Henry since there was always some leftover lobster meat to use. Emma loved the pizza, too, though.

"The lobster rolls are for all of us and be thankful I made enough for you to take some with you," Regina sniffed.

"With you?" Henry's eyes went wide as he turned to Emma. "You're leaving?"

Sighing, Emma pouted. "Yeah, but only for a few days. You know how I have to track down bad guys, right?" Henry nodded; this was one aspect of Emma that he practically worshipped. He seemed to think she was something like Batman. "I have to go find a bad guy, but I'll come back after and we'll spend a whole lot of time together, okay?"

Henry nodded. "Okay. You can have my lobster roll if it helps give you energy to catch him."

Emma smiled. "No, buddy. I'll be good. Your mom made more than enough."

"Yeah, Mom takes good care of us," he declared. Regina felt her face heat up with a blush.

Emma laughed. "That she does, kid. That she does." She then winked at him, as if they shared a secret. A little over a year ago, this would have driven Regina insane. Now, she was happy for Henry, even if he had someone to conspire with.

-8-8-8-8-

Emma was glad Henry's bedtime was eight. It seemed crazy to her for him to go to bed at eight, but she figured Regina knew what she was doing. Plus, he fell asleep as soon as Regina finished reading one of his favorite stories. With that, they retired to Regina's office. Emma reclined on the couch with a glass of apple cider while Regina sat at her desk, looking through folders.

"What do you have there?" Emma asked, staring at Regina. She noticed hints of Regina's forehead vein popping up. _It's like a warning sign that I can see, touch, and taste_.

"Some proposals." Regina's voice was tense and she spoke without opening her mouth. Emma thought she was playing the "annoyed regal mayor" as usual.

Emma sucked her teeth and threw her hands up. "I swear to the dead gods and the Fates, sometimes it's like pulling teeth with you. About what?"

"The old mine." _Oh_. That explained Regina's voice and the forehead vein. "I thought you had the place filled in."

Emma got up, wanting to be close to Regina. This was a tough subject for Regina and the trauma was still fresh, for both of them. She suspected it was worse for Regina because Regina had not been the one to go down in the mine. Regina had just been stuck at the surface, not sure what was going on, worried out of her mind that she had lost the only person on the planet that mattered to her.

"Not fully." Regina eyed Emma as she stood behind the mayor and a hand on her shoulder. Emma felt Regina exhale when her fingers settled. Regina licked her lips before she continued. "There was not enough money in the budget at the time and no one would give me a lower bid. Now, I have quite a few options." Regina waved a hand over several holders spread out on her desk.

"Anything look good?" Emma leaned down, feigning like she wanted to look at the papers. Instead, she nuzzled Regina, gaining a little noise from the mayor. Emma smiled against her neck. "Don't do anything too big. I like that spot."

Regina scoffed and pulled away to stare at Emma as if she was crazy. "You like that spot? We almost lost Henry in that damned mine."

Emma continued to smile, rubbing Regina's shoulder. "I know and it was really fucking scary, but it helped get us here. So, I dunno." Emma shrugged. "I just consider it special. I mean, I like being around here."

Regina would never admit to liking having Emma around, but Emma already knew that to be true. When they first met, Emma learned what it was like for Regina to be her enemy, for Regina to hate her, and for Regina to not want her around. It all changed with that mine.

Emma had shown up on Regina's doorstep a little over a year ago, probably a little more than that, but she never was big on keeping track of time. She had news Regina never wanted to know – Emma was Henry's birth mother. Regina had adopted him when he was a baby, days old. Emma had had him in prison and gave him up for his best chance, as she was in no way, shape, or form ready to be a parent. Yet, years later, she suddenly wanted to meet the son she had given up. Of course, she was not in much better shape when she showed up to meet him.

"Why did you really want to meet Henry, Emma? I know you said you were curious, but I don't think that was your only reason," Regina said.

"Well, I wasn't trying to take him from you like you thought," Emma scoffed. The first time Emma met Regina, she learned how irrational, confrontational, nasty, and outright crazy the mayor could be when she felt threatened.

Regina frowned a bit. "Well, what was it?"

"My mother died a few months before that and other crap happened and I felt… I dunno, I guess alone in the world because I didn't have any more blood relatives. Or real family or something. I dunno. Maybe I never really had a real family." She could feel her brow wrinkle as she tried to get her thoughts together, but it was almost impossible. "It was just a crazy time. I just… I wanted to… connect with him, maybe? It was really crazy." Emma shook her head. She hated thinking about it and, apparently, trying to explain it was even worse.

"I'm sorry about your mother. I know what it's like to lose a family member." Regina's father died some years ago and she had named Henry after him. Henry liked to tell tales about the grandfather he never met as Regina told him many stories. She also took Henry to visit her father's grave, even though it was quite a journey, all the way at the southern edge of the Enchanted Forest.

"Yeah, but like I said, it was a crazy time, which is why I showed up at your door like a crazy person. I don't know why the hell I thought I could just demand you let me meet the kid and then I caused all of that trouble." Emma sighed, her stomach turning. Regina patted her hand, comforting her now.

"We both could've handled that better, dear."

"Well, hindsight is twenty-twenty and all of that shit."

Regina only rolled her eyes; she hated profanity. Emma wished she had handled things differently because her bullish behavior ousted secrets that were not hers to tell. She appeared in Henry's life when she had no right to and one day he heard her screaming about how she was his mother and Regina had "merely adopted" him. She made it seem like Regina had been holding Henry in trust for her and Henry had no idea he was adopted until she hollered it at Regina. It did not help she was drunk at the time, which was her normal mode of being for back then, but it did explain why her mouth was more reckless than usual. She had managed to spill a secret almost every adult in town knew and had kept to themselves, all of them knowing it was not their place to tell, yet she had blown it.

"I made you crazy, didn't I?" Emma asked, guilt gnawing at her guts now.

"I was crazy long before you came along. My upbringing saw to that," Regina remarked with a smile that did not quite reach her eyes. Emma knew there was something there, as that expression was much too sad to be a joke. She had been in enough shitty homes to see the signs, not to mention Regina's unhealthy obsession with her mother seeing them together.

"Well, I'm sorry. I was really going through some stuff." More stuff than she cared to discuss ever.

Regina patted her hand again and let her fingers linger on Emma's. "I know, dear. I know. I was scared of losing him, though, so I reacted poorly."

"He reacted poorly, too."

First, Henry had gone behind Regina's back, spending time with Emma. Emma, at the time, being "crazy" and "an idiot," as Regina liked to put it, allowed it, feeling like the kid accept her as his mother. He did not. He was just intrigued and curious, but it felt good to pretend for her.

One day, she kept him out late during a storm and when he got home, Regina went off on him. His response to that was to run away. He went to his castle, a playground area that looked like it would fall down on a good day, but had not survived the storm. Emma went to find him and showed how not ready she was to be a parent by barking and cursing at him for "being stupid" and running away in the rain. He did not take too kindly to that, nor did he take too kindly to her returning him to Regina.

Of course, Regina had not been kind to Emma and Henry did not seem to be happy with that. He ended up climbing out of his window and he went to hide in the old mine, claiming he would find fairy dust to fix everything. The mine had been dry of fairy dust for more than five centuries and he got very lost down there. Emma had been the one to venture inside to find him. Bringing him out on her own was the turning point of her relationship with Regina, who had been frightened in a way only a mother could be.

Henry went to the hospital, suffering from exposure and a big gash on his head from falling in the mine. When Emma came to the hospital, Regina not only let her stay to look over him, but hugged her for bringing him back. Much more than Emma expected and Regina was not done with surprises.

When Henry was allowed to go home from the hospital, Emma showed up at the house with some get-well comic books. Little did she know, but most young kids had fairly early bedtimes and Henry's had been eight. Emma showed up at nine. Regina had been halfway through a bottle of cider and kissed Emma as thanks. The first one was sweet and on the cheek. The second one was sweet and on the lips. All other kisses after made Emma want to write erotic poetry, using only things they did that night.

The morning after, Emma worried Regina would freak out and go back to hating her. Instead, Regina made her breakfast and they had to pretend Emma showed up that morning when Henry came down to eat. Ever since then, it had been smooth sailings. The town, not knowing about Emma being Henry's birth mother, thought Emma was allowed around because she saved Henry's life and they thought Regina was just eternally grateful, which was true, but there was so much more.

"Just do right by the site. Like I said, I like the place," Emma said.

A small smile played on Regina's lips. "I'll do my best and try to make the best decision for the town."

Emma chuckled. "Of course." She sighed. "I should probably get going. It's not a long drive, but I know you worry about me steering off the road."

"It's not that I worry. I've seen signs of what happens when you drive with little sleep and too much indignation."

Emma could not help smiling. "However you want to put it."

"Our poor town sign has never been the same," Regina pointed out.

Snorting, Emma rolled her eyes. "Oh, I was thinking of staying at Wonderland when I got back to Misthaven. Is that good?"

Frowning, Regina shook her head. "No, that place is crawling with nobles and wealthy merchants. My mother loves it."

"What if we went back to the Arabian Nights? You liked it, especially the whirlpool bath," Emma commented with a smirk. She loved the things Regina did in the whirlpool bath.

Regina waved that idea off. "No, we've gone to the Arabian Nights too many times as it is. And, again, nobles love that place as well."

"Well, I'm not taking you to some dive." Emma hardly cared where she stayed, but she could not have Regina in just any old place. Plus, they needed to stay some place Regina could hopefully explain away her presence if she were ever caught there by someone she knew. The only person Regina seemed to worry about, though, was her mother. Not even her fiancé.

"I did not ask you to do so. Give me other options," Regina pointed out the obvious.

"How about the Pixie? It's supposed to be quaint and it just opened. It's off hotel row. I doubt nobles are hanging out there. Maybe we could even have dinner in the restaurant." Something they never did.

"I will research it and then tell you when you come back."

Emma sighed as if this was a huge burden. "Fine. God, why can't you just say yes and make my life easy?"

Regina scowled. "I'm not here to make your life easy."

Emma only laughed and nuzzled Regina, nipping her earlobe just for the hell of it. Regina certainly made her life easy. Regina and Henry. They were the only things that were easy in life, even with all of this sneaking around. Emma was content for possibly the first time in life. She hated wondering, but she had to. _How long can this last?_

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Emma gets the answer to that question and more. Both she and Regina won't like the answers.


	3. Curses

I don't own these characters.

A/N: there's some more of that M-rated stuff here.

3: Curses

The Pixie was all it was advertised to be and more. It was not as luxurious as some of the other hotels Emma had taken her to, but Regina liked it. Not that she would ever mention that aloud. The room was cozy and the atmosphere was comfortable. It was designed almost like a jungle hut motif, which worked without being overdone. It was downright cute.

Emma had to know Regina liked it because more often than not, this was where Emma got a room when she was in Misthaven. Of course, they could not stay there too often. They did not want to be seen as regulars, but it was nice. They were comfortable and content… or maybe what they did in the hotel room had something to do with that.

"Oh, gods-be-damned, Regina," Emma breathed as Regina moved against her. "Fuck…"

"Such language," Regina teased, voice strained as she bucked on top of Emma. They were on the sofa, pressed together in ecstasy, enjoying each other's bodies and a little something extra Emma had been pressed to try. Regina just wanted to make sure Emma got her money's worth… well, that was what she told Emma before this bout began.

"Fuck," Emma repeated, hands clutching Regina's hips to the point of definite bruising. Regina did not care. Who the hell would see bruises on her hips, after all?

Regina was about to scold Emma again, but she drove Regina down and pushed up perfectly, hitting a spot inside of Regina that practically made her howl. To avoid having the whole hotel hear her, Regina kissed Emma. Emma responded just as hotly, tongue sliding against Regina's. Regina clutched Emma's shoulders, needing purchase on something. Once she had a good grip, she rode Emma like her favorite horse.

"Holy… Fuck," Emma grunted, breaking their kiss. She panted as Regina moved with more determination.

Whining, Regina leaned in again, needing Emma's lips on hers. The feeling of their breasts meshed together seemed to make Regina burn even more. She wanted to consume Emma, merge with Emma, be _one_ with Emma. The blond seemed to be of like mind, moving one hand to Regina's back and pushing their sweaty bodies even closer together. Regina ground down even harder as Emma's other hand clutched her ass. Pulling apart only to breathe, Regina put a hand to Emma's cheek, feeling connected to the blond.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Emma chanted. The words only came out faster as Regina moved her other hand to massage and press against Emma's breast. "Fuck…" Emma did not even bother to close her mouth, even when she ran out of words.

Regina ran her tongue along Emma's gaping mouth, dragging another groan out of the younger woman. Regina growled in Emma's face and tightened her grip as she felt herself getting closer, her body humming with pleasure. Emma nipped at Regina's thumb, as it was close to her mouth, and then licked Regina's fingertip. Unable to resist, Regina jabbed her thumb into Emma's mouth and blond bit down. The drag of Emma's teeth, as subtle as it was, sent electric jolts through Regina, combining with her mounting bliss. Shifting her hips once more, chasing what she needed, Regina cried out as she peaked.

"Fuck…" Emma muttered, almost in disbelief. Regina kept moving, trying to draw out her own pleasure as well as ride Emma to her own.

Regina sagged as the delight waned against Emma, who growled once more before she climaxed as well. Emma held Regina close, both hands on her back, one drawing relaxing circles at the small of Regina's back. Regina rested her head against Emma's shoulder and her tongue darted out just to taste sweat-soaked and sated skin.

"I told you I wield a mean cock," Emma remarked, undoubtedly appearing insufferable.

A small scoff escaped Regina and she rolled her eyes. "Yes, because you did so much here."

Emma laughed, hands still busy on Regina's back. "My pelvis didn't break when you changed pace like you were trying to win the derby with me. That's plenty of work. Sex with you really should qualify as a fucking Champion of All the Realms event."

"And let me guess, you'd win the gold?" Regina asked, head still on Emma's shoulder. She placed a kiss as close to Emma's collarbone as she could.

"I'd fucking try, I can tell you that much. You fucked the word 'fuck' out of me."

"Is that why you keep saying it?"

"I can't stop fucking saying it because fuck. I wasn't expecting this. I thought I'd get to showcase my talent," Emma commented.

Regina kissed her neck. "Next time, dear. How about you showcase your strength and carry me to bed, though? I'm worn out."

"No small wonder. You're fucking riding me like the Dark One was after you."

Regina let loose a weak laugh. She wanted to scold Emma for being an idiot, but she was much too exhausted to do so. Regina was more than happy to have shown Emma her skills.

"All right. I'll carry you, but not right now. I need to catch my breath, too. Watching you alone was a fucking work of art. Can we film this next time?" Emma asked and Regina did not have to look at her to know she had a cheeky grin on her face.

"No, Miss Swan, we will not be making a sex tape."

"Come on, just for me," Emma pretended to whine. She rubbed small, tight circles against Regina's back, as if that would get her to change her mind.

"No. Now, like I said, carry me to bed."

"Regina, seriously? I mean, I can't even feel my legs. Do you want to take that chance?"

"Then just do me a favor and stop talking for a few seconds. Learn to bask in the afterglow."

Emma laughed, which was not good as it created movement, which caused the toy, still inside of Regina, to move. She whimpered and hated that she would need to get up. She did not want to separate from Emma. _Why the hell am I so attached to this girl? _No, she refused to be attached to anyone. It would not do her any good.

"Lift up a little," Emma whispered, caressing Regina's back.

Regina did as ordered. A mewl escaped her as Emma pulled out and now she hated feeling so empty. There was a part of her that was hollow. _Emma does not fit that part_. _Emma is just a bit of fun before I'm damned to this marriage_.

To avoid thinking about her impending nuptials, Regina kissed Emma, even though she was certain it would start another round neither of them was up for. Emma kissed back, of course, hand clutching Regina's ass now. Moments later, Regina felt herself being picked up. Apparently, Emma found her strength.

"My turn now," Emma growled as she lowered Regina down onto the bed.

Regina did not object, but beckoned Emma to her with a crooked finger. Emma was on her like a blanket, covering her, protecting her. Regina groaned as Emma ran her teeth down Regina's neck and led her further back on the bed. Emma followed, mouth never leaving Regina's grateful skin. Soon, Regina was on her back, against the pillows. Emma pulled away, just to take in the sight.

"Fuck, you're hot," Emma whispered, as if it was a secret.

"If only you were original," Regina teased, purring at the end just to drive Emma mad with desire.

Emma groaned and wasted no time sliding a hand in between Regina's thighs, caressing Regina intimately. Regina wrapped her arms around Emma's neck, pulling her close for another kiss. Tilting her head, in need of a better angle, Regina stroked Emma's tongue with hers and then moaned into Emma's mouth as Emma pushed into her.

"Fuck…" Emma began again, hips moving with determination already.

Regina almost returned the sentiment, but simply clung even tighter to Emma. Emma certainly had her second wind, pumping into Regina as if this was the only thing that mattered in the world. Right now, it was.

"Oh, Emma," Regina cooed as Emma hit a particularly keen spot. "Oh!"

"So fucking sexy," Emma breathed, propping herself up on her elbows as if Regina could not take her weight.

"Yes," Regina practically begged, trying to pull Emma down onto her. The only way this could be any better was to feel Emma against her completely.

Emma seemed to get the hint, falling against Regina and moving harder. Regina called out to the heavens as beautiful jolts shot through her, going all the way to the tips of her hair. Growling, Emma pressed more and Regina cried out more.

"Fuck, you feel good," Emma groaned, kissing Regina's cheek before dragging her teeth down wanting flesh.

"You, too," Regina moaned, arching her back and spreading her legs wider, needing more. Emma granted her silent request, thrusting harder, faster. All Regina could do was moan and hold on for dear life. The bed squeaked and Emma panted above her, somehow managing to cradle her head as she drove Regina closer and closer to paradise.

"Fuck," the way the word dragged out, Regina knew Emma was close as well.

With her mind hazy from delight, Regina managed to move a hand, finding Emma's breast. Caressing smooth skin and flicking a pebbled nipple was like flipping a switch. With each move, Emma's hips jerked harder and Regina's body flooded with pleasure. One more sharp push and Regina overflowed, head thrown back, and letting any who could hear know her pleasure. There were colors flashing before her eyes and she felt like she could not get enough air in her lungs.

As she came down from that high place, Emma rained gentle kisses down on her cheeks and lips. It was a good distraction as Emma eased out of her again. Still, she could not help whining at the loss. Emma made up for it by cuddling close and continuing to kiss her softly. Regina fell asleep to this treatment.

When she woke up, she found herself covered by the comforter and Emma spooned against her back, making her the little spoon. She did not mind. She felt at peace, even with Emma cupping her breast in her sleep. She put her hand against Emma's and gently caressed pale fingers.

_I wish this were real_. Unfortunately, she and Emma would never be a reality beyond what they were now. It was a nice little bubble to live in, but soon it would be burst. Maybe they could avoid her mother forever, but she was engaged and the only thing stopping that wedding was her request to finish out her term as mayor of Storybrooke. Her mother thought she was crazy for doing so, but now, she wished to think of new excuses to put things off indefinitely. She wanted to stay in this bubble, in this reality.

"I should take it while it lasts," she muttered, so she pressed her back against Emma and settled back against her pillow. She fell asleep again, pretending they were back home, in her room, in her bed. _I wish we could do this at home_. _Fall asleep together, hold each other in the night. I'd make breakfast in the morning. We'd get Henry ready for school together_. That was a dream, so she decided to go to sleep and hope she could at least have that dream there.

-8-8-8-8-

Emma had taken it upon herself to explore the Pixie since she had stayed there a few times. There was a nice garden with fountains and waterfalls. It kept with the rain forest theme. There were even some exotic birds in there with little frogs and stuff. She would love to walk with Regina through it. She could imagine Regina being a little annoyed by it, or at least pretending to be annoyed, but finding it quite nice.

The restaurant, though, put the garden to shame. The food was delicious, even though she had not heard of much of it. It certainly was worth the prices they charged for it. She figured Regina would appreciate it, though. Regina liked cooking up exotic meals or throwing together things Emma never knew went together. She decided to give Regina a call as soon as she went back up to her room.

"Yes, Miss Swan," Regina purred into the phone.

Emma was certain something was wrong with her when she had to shift in her seat because of that voice. "How are you doing?"

"I am trying to decide if Sheriff Humbert should just hire one, maybe two, full time deputies or continue on with the part-time help. The math seems support the former while he is a huge supporter of the latter."

Emma chuckled. "Fates, it's sexy when you get all mayoral."

If the low groan was an indication, Regina did not find that funny, but she probably thought it was cute. "Is there a reason for this call, Miss Swan?"

"Want to go to dinner with me?" She already knew what she wanted Regina to try first. It would be amazing, watching Regina sneer until she took a bite and then her eyes would soften and her lips would almost form a smile until she recalled she was supposed to be upset. It would be a good evening. She just needed to get Regina here.

"We have dinner all the time when I come by."

Rolling her eyes, Emma scoffed. "No, Regina, not room service. I mean, go into the restaurant with me at the Pixie. It's really good and I think you'd like it. We should go before the place gets too popular. This way, it's less likely anyone will see us."

"Emma…" Regina sighed.

"No, Regina, I really want to go on a normal date with you and this can work. We both know no one of any real status comes in the Pixie. But, as soon as the hipsters discover it, we'll never be able to even go in there again," Emma pretended to sound panicked, even though she knew what question was coming.

"Hipsters?" Regina echoed, undoubtedly arching an eyebrow.

Shaking her head, Emma had to fight down a smile. She was supposed to be upset with Regina, after all. "Never mind, thirty-year-old who seems like she's sixty. The point is, this place is still an undiscovered gem and we could actually have a nice evening without being in the hotel room and outside of Storybrooke."

"Emma."

"It could happen! In fact, it will happen. You're coming here after work and we're having dinner together before the rest of Misthaven – Nay, the rest of the Enchanted Forest finds out how awesome this place is!" Emma declared and then she hung up. If she did not answer when Regina called back, Regina would show up if only to berate at Emma. She was oddly predictable in that sense. "And why the hell do I know that about her?"

Sighing, Emma ran her hand through her hair and decided to lose her phone in her room for a while to avoid the temptation of answering. She went for a walk through the gardens again, imagining having Regina on her arm. Regina would probably know all of the names of the flowers or something like that. While Emma never cared about flowers before, she would listen as if Regina spilled the secrets of the universe. Of course, she would also tease Regina and make sure she looked as bored as possible. The idea warmed her. She shook her head.

"I never thought I'd feel like this again. This is just gonna blow up in my face," Emma was certain of that. She started this thing with Regina because she thought it had little possibility of blowing up in her face. Regina was unavailable to her, making the temperamental mayor safe. _How the hell was I supposed to know almost a year later I'd feel like this? It was supposed to just be about really good fucking sex! You'd think by now I'd realize shit doesn't work out the way I think it will._

Emma decided to go find something to do with herself because thinking was the enemy. Any time things started happening in her life, it only got worse when she started thinking and then over-thinking it. Once she over-thought things and discovered things she did not like, she ran off in the other direction as soon as possible. But, no reason to do that since she would never have Regina anyway, therefore Regina was not threatening, not scary, not worth over-thinking. Regina was engaged.

"I need something to do," Emma said, rushing off to find an arcade. She ended up in a nearby casino because, yay, gambling was legal in Misthaven. Strangely enough, it was not legal in the rest of the Enchanted Forest. Sometimes, Emma did not understand how laws were made.

After a few hours of losing her money, Emma went back to the Pixie just in time for Regina to storm in, all of her Hurricane Regina glory. And, there was definitely something wrong with her, because the sound of those heels on the marble floor sent shivers down Emma's spine and made a mess of her underwear. _Yup, something's wrong with me_.

"Miss Swan!" Regina bellowed and sent Emma into flashbacks of when they first met. She would never be able to wear these bikini briefs ever again.

"I should run. I could run," Emma muttered, turning around, like she did not see Regina.

"Hold it, missy!"

Shit, that was the "mom" voice. Now, Regina was just sending mixed signals and poor Emma's body felt like it had been doused in ice water. Also, she stopped dead in her tracks. _Maybe the town of Storybrooke is not off_. Regina could actually be a witch.

"Where do you get off hanging up on me and then not returning any of my phone calls?" Regina demanded, marching in front of Emma, giving her a good look at the murder-death-kill glare going on.

"Uh… to be fair, you were being a little unreasonable," Emma answered, holding up a hand.

Regina's gaze narrowed, making her glare even harder and she might actually be trying to kill Emma with a look. "No, you not listening to my reasoning was unreasonable. I was being _totally_ reasonable."

Emma's brow furrowed. "Like now?" _Regina has a weird definition of reasonable_.

Eyes ablaze, Regina put a finger in her face. "You are being unreasonable and childish."

Emma gasped and then glared down at the finger being pointed at her. "I'm childish?" _I'm not the one causing a scene in a hotel lobby!_

"Yes, what else do you call someone who hangs up on you and doesn't answer her phone for the next four hours? What if something was wrong with Henry and I was trying to inform you?"

_Shit_. Regina had a point there. Her phone was her only link to Regina and Henry most of the time. Sighing, Emma rubbed her forehead and took Regina's hand, the one pointing at her. She caressed Regina's hand with her thumb.

"I'm sorry. You're right. That was immature. I just wanted you to have dinner with me," Emma said in a low tone. _Okay, maybe thinking is not totally my enemy. This plan, even though it worked, clearly needed more thought_.

Regina growled, but she did not pull her hand away. "There are other ways to go about making such a request."

"You weren't willing to listen. Can we… can we please just go to dinner?" Emma whimpered. _Whoa, who the hell is that talking with what sounds like my voice? I do not beg and I damn sure don't beg Regina! Unless, of course, it involves being naked or getting naked_.

Regina sighed and Emma was pretty sure her stomach fell into her feet. _How the hell did this woman get so much power over me?_ This should bother her, but she was more worried about Regina being upset than anything else. She was more bothered that Regina might leave, give her the cold shoulder, or worse, never speak to her again. And, then Regina reached up and caressed her cheek. Everything seemed quite fine suddenly… until it was not.

"Emma?" Someone called her.

_Shit_. Regina should have been the only one to know she was here and that was definitely not Regina. And from the wide, terrified look in Regina's eyes, it also was not her imagination. _Shit_. Turning slowly, Regina and Emma locked eyes with Snow White. _Shit!_ Careful of any sudden movements, Regina moved her hand and Emma let her go.

"Emma, it is you," Snow said, rushing over with a smile on her face as usual. Her fiancé David trailed behind her, also as usual. "And you're with Regina," Snow added, brow slightly wrinkled.

"Wait, you know Snow White?" Emma asked Regina, who seemed to be trying to death-glare her way out of this. _I hope that actually works because this is fucking awkward_. Somehow, she doubted it would work because despite the glare, Regina was white as a sheet.

"Emma, you are aware this is Father's betrothed," Snow said, eyes narrowing in an almost accusing manner, like Emma was supposed to just know that.

"Betrothed?" Emma echoed, face scrunched up as she tried to figure out what that meant. _It can't mean what I think it means_.

"Father?" Regina said, looking at Emma with a narrow gaze now, too.

Emma put her hand up. "Wait, wait, wait, you're engaged to the King?"

Regina went back to point in Emma's face. "The King is your father?"

"We need to talk now," Emma said, grabbing Regina by the hand. She dragged Regina off, not even bothering to say anything to Snow.

-8-8-8-8-

Regina paced Emma's room. She had already thrown her purse at the wall and also a lamp at the wall. As soon as Emma finished mixing her a drink, she would throw the glass at the wall. But, when Emma finished with the drink, she gulped it down herself.

"Miss Swan, what the hell?" Regina demanded, throwing her hands up as if she wanted to call down thunder. She wished she could.

"What? You think I'm going to be sober for this conversation? I need at least a little buzz. I willingly trapped myself in a small room with a gods-be-damned tiger, after all!" Emma went to work on another drink.

"That one better be for me, Miss Swan," Regina growled and then stopped with her arms folded across her chest. "Is that ever your real name?" The question was a cross between incredulous and angry. Why would the King's daughter have a different surname, after all? But, then again, why would the King have a daughter she did not know about? A daughter she had never heard of?

"Of course that's my real name! What the hell, Regina? You didn't think it was important to mention you were promised to the fucking King?" Emma shouted, spilling out quite a bit of the latest drink.

Regina curled her lip in disgust. "Oh, that would have made a difference? At least I told you I was engaged! You said you didn't have any family!"

"I said my mother died and you did not tell me you were engaged. The huge fucking ring on your gods-be-damned finger told me that!" Emma's fair face was flushed all the way up to the roots of her hair.

"You didn't want to know anything beyond that while I would have found it very informative to know you were the King's daughter!"

"I'm the King's bastard!" Emma screamed, eyes blazing with tears forming in the corners. "I'm… the King's bastard," she whimpered and everything about her seemed to droop.

The voice struck Regina in the depths of her fury and blew out the blaze just enough for her to go over to Emma. She embraced the blond, held her tight. She rubbed the back of Emma's neck and Emma wrapped her arms around Regina's waist.

"I'm his dirty little secret, Regina. I didn't even know until my mom died. I didn't even know…" Emma sniffled, resting her cheek in Regina's hair.

"It's all right." Regina caressed her back, right between her shoulders, soothing Emma like she would soothe Henry when he was upset. She was not surprised it worked on both of them.

There was another sniffle. "He came to me after she died, trying to figure out if she told me or not. He didn't care that she was dead, just if she told me. I ended up figuring it out just because he was there. I mean, why the fuck does the King care about some dead washed up alcoholic? I didn't care, but he kept bugging me about it and my mom just fucking died."

"Pig," Regina hissed under her breath. She held no love for the King, but this only lowered her opinion of the man further. _Leopold the Good_. _What a joke_. If he were so good, she would not be holding his weeping, dejected daughter in her arms.

Emma wept softly, her body shaking just a bit. "When he figured out his secret was safe, he told me to keep it low key, not mention it to anyone. This way the press wouldn't bother me. He made it seem like it was all to protect me. He didn't want them hounding me, he said. I know it was just to protect his image, but I really don't care. I don't want to be bothered by that shit and I would be if it got out."

"Is that how you afford all of those lavish hotel rooms, even though you're a bounty hunter?" Regina asked. She had wondered, of course, but did not trouble Emma over it. She understood Emma was trying to be romantic and she would give the younger woman that.

Emma pulled back a little and laughed a little through watery eyes, tears still wet on her cheeks. "I'm not a bounty hunter. I just happen to collect bounties on people."

Regina smiled. "Of course."

"Can we sit down and talk about this?"

Regina nodded. She definitely could use a seat now. They settled on the couch and it was possibly the most awkward and tense moment between them since Emma saved Henry's life. There was almost a whole cushion of space between them. Emma downed the last bit of drink she had left and Regina folded her hands into her lap with the hopes of keeping calm.

For a moment, Regina wished she had a rubber band around her wrist like she was a child. She had been able to snap it to help control anxiety, but as she aged, Mother thought it was ridiculous and Regina had to learn to control it without help or she would anger Mother. _Oh, god. Mother_. It felt like everything inside of her fell out in that very moment.

"Are you all right?" Emma asked quietly, almost like she did not want to spook Regina, even though she was the one that just had a breakdown.

"F-fine," Regina managed to whisper.

"You should tell that to your complexion. You just got very pale."

"She'll tell my mother."

"What?"

"Snow is going to say something. She'll talk. Someone will tell my mother. My mother is going to find out about this. My mother will know!" Regina jumped up. She needed to pace. She needed to move. By the Fates, she wished she had a gods-be-damned rubber band to snap!

"Regina…" Emma reached out for her hand, but Regina pulled away, probably more violently than necessary.

Regina glared at Emma. "No! It's your compulsive need to hold hands that got us into this mess in the first place! What are you, ten? Why the hell do you need to hold my hand so much?"

"Regina, calm down. I'll talk to Snow."

"And tell her what exactly?" Regina demanded.

"I wanted to meet you since you're Father's betrothed."

"Ah, yes, a perfect plan. Now, if only we hadn't just made it fairly obvious neither of us knew who the other was and we weren't holding hands and staring into each other's eyes like two imbeciles, I'm sure it would work!"

"Okay, so new plan…" Emma trailed off for several seconds.

"Well!" Regina stomped her foot.

"I will talk to Snow and point out to her that it helps no one for her to mention what she saw. She actually likes me a lot. She thinks just sharing a father makes us best friends," Emma explained.

"Do you really think she's not going to say something?" Regina inquired in disbelief. "Every noble in the country knows that girl can't keep a secret. She'll tell someone, anyone." She could already see Snow White blathering on, trying to fill in the blanks of what she just witnessed, needing to tell someone so they could help her figure out what she just saw. Or worse, needing to tell someone because of what she thought she just saw.

"It's worth a try and even if she does, we were just holding hands. It's not like she walked by when I had my tongue in your mouth."

Regina shook her head. "We need a better plan."

Sighing, Emma rubbed her head and then suddenly punched her palm. The noise made Regina jump just slightly. Emma thankfully did not mention.

"Okay, I got it! I got it! Let's go with a blend of the truth and true events. We already know each other from me coming to Storybrooke whenever I go up north and I spend a lot of time with you because I saved Henry. Spending so much time with you and Henry has made me think about the kid I gave up for adoption and I wanted to talk to you about it," Emma explained.

Regina arched an eyebrow. "And why would I come to you instead of you coming to Storybrooke?"

Emma scoffed. "Because I'm a fucking princess and always expect people to come to me. Do you really think Snow and her dad are going to question that part of the story?"

Regina paused. It was possible that would work. It spoke of their familiarity, which would explain the casual touching. It would seem like Emma was going through something emotional, which would explain her caressing Emma's face. Taking a deep breath, Regina sat down again.

"Do you really think they'll buy it?" Regina asked in a low voice.

"It's worth a try," Emma answered. They were quiet for a long moment.

"So, King Leopold and your mother?" Regina said.

"I don't know the whole story, but apparently, the King had an eye for beautiful women." Emma looked at Regina and smiled. "And, apparently, still does. How did you get engaged to him?"

Regina sighed and shook her head. "Snow."

Golden eyebrows bent in close. "You got engaged because of Snow?"

"A few years ago, I saved her on a runaway horse and he was very impressed by this. It's how we met face to face, but he's always been aware of my family. After all, his father destroyed my father's country."

Emma nodded, but her bewildered expression remained. "So, you saved Snow from possibly dying on a runaway horse and he decided to reward you by marrying you?"

Regina shook her head. "It was my mother's idea. He jumped at it. I'm assuming he thinks it will help him with the trouble that's been brewing in the Castian territory. What better way to quiet the Castian people than to marry the only Castian princess not in exile?" Of course, she was not sure if that plan would work, but it was not like she could talk the King out of it, especially since she was not supposed to know about it.

Emma frowned. "You don't have to let him use you like that."

"My mother already agreed to this."

"You don't have to listen to your mother."

Regina chuckled and caressed Emma's face. It just seemed to be an automatic response. There was something about touching Emma that helped center her.

"I do, Emma. I can't turn down the King and I can't stop my mother. So, give Snow your explanation and consider this our last kiss." Regina leaned in and pressed her lips to Emma's. It took all of her willpower to not cry.

Emma whimpered as she pulled away. Regina swallowed down the sorrow and pain like the bitter pills they were. She needed everything inside of her just to stand up. Her knees were weak as she managed to walk out of the room. She always lost the one she loved. _Mother always wins_.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Emma tries to clean up this mess.


	4. Intrigue

I don't own these characters.

4: Intrigue

Emma felt like she knew what people meant when they said "heart break" now. It was like her heart shattered in her chest. Regina had just walked out of her life. But, not really since she would show up again soon. She would be Emma's stepmother. The thought made her throat seize and her stomach bubbled.

"No, no, no. I can't focus on this. I need to fix this shit before things get worse," Emma said.

Climbing to her feet, Emma went in search of Snow White. She checked the Pixie's restaurant, but there was no sign of the princess. She did not know much about Snow or where she would go, so Emma decided to call her. Snow did not answer. Emma ended up at a bar, drinking to help her think (it made sense in her head). And then she got a text from Snow. It read: _Have dinner with us tonight. By us, I mean your family_. Emma scoffed, but texted back, "_yeah_."

So, tonight she would be dining at the White Palace with her "family." _Whatever_. She did not look forward to that. She found it ironic how she spent her entire childhood wishing for a better life, wanting to live in the grand capital of Misthaven, and imagining what it would be like to live in the awe-inspiring White Palace. Having an answer to that tasted like ashes in her mouth.

"But, I have to do this, for Regina," Emma reminded herself. So, now she would have dinner with the King and his Heir while being drunk as fuck. Good. Fuck them.

Despite the thought, Emma went to get some coffee and some water. She needed to be sober enough to drive, after all. Of course, if she got into a car accident and died, it would solve a lot of problems.

"No, because Regina would still get married to Leopold and he'd end up being Henry's dad… which is just fucking creepy." There was something there that bothered Emma beyond Henry's stepdad being his grandfather, but she could not pinpoint it just yet. _Probably because you're drunk, idiot_.

Shaking away those thoughts, Emma wandered down the street until she came to a coffee shop. She really wished Ruby worked there, just to have someone to talk to while she downed her coffee. Instead, the unfamiliar barista took her order and gave her the coffee not too long later. Then, it was her and her thoughts, which was fine. It was not like Ruby knew she was dating Regina.

"Wait, no. I wasn't dating Regina," Emma told herself. _Fine, you wanted to be dating Regina_, some traitorous voice in the back of her mind corrected her.

She really did want to date Regina, but that obviously was not going to happen, which was good. Actually, dating had not worked out for her. Hell, catching feelings like this had not worked out for her as well. Counting on people in general had not worked out for her. _But, you would count on Regina. When has she ever let you down?_

"Well, she did just walk out on me," Emma muttered. _What the hell was she supposed to do? Ride off into the sunset with you? Run away with you? She's got Henry and she's a freaking mayor! What the hell was she supposed to do?_

Emma conceded that the voice in her head had a point. She was not sure what she would do about Regina. Right now, she needed to handle Snow White. Well, she needed to handle dinner with her blue blood relatives as well. The day was rough and she did not see an end to it.

-8-8-8-8-

Emma was relatively sober when she got to the White Palace. Grand was an understatement as she crossed one of seven bridges that led over lake-like fountains. The courtyards were just as much of a walk with designer gardens and topiary to catch the eye. _Henry would probably run wild here, imagining dragons around every corner and slaying them while fighting with pretend ogres and make-believe trolls_.

For a moment, she imagined Henry running around, exploring, playing games, and taking in the history of the place. Eventually, though, he would get lonely. Leopold, under the guise of helping, would probably hire kids to be Henry's friends and everyone would declare this the most wonderful act of altruism they had ever seen, like everything they did with Leopold. _Fuck him_.

"No, no, no. This isn't about him," Emma reminded herself. This was about Regina.

"Oh, Emma, you made it!" Snow called with her usual bright-eye grin. She rushed Emma and grabbed her into a hug.

Emma groaned and returned the bone-crushing embrace with a lot less enthusiasm. It was not that she disliked her half-sister. Snow seemed to be genuinely loving and kind, in a way that was not even obnoxious. She was not judgmental like many of the nobles Emma had the displeasure of meeting. She was just was a little… naïve. Emma could not fault her this, but their exact opposite upbringings made Emma very tense around her. It did not help that Snow seemed to seriously think all they need do was share a father and be the same age to be as close to twins as two people could be without exactly being twins.

"It's been so long!" Snow grinned, leaving an arm around Emma as they walked off, entering the palace proper.

There were wide halls, decked with paintings and tapestries detailing the awesomeness that was the Blanchard dynasty. Almost every portrait or scene they passed displayed pale brunettes with hazel eyes, telling Emma she did not belong. Walking the halls, she could not help thinking: one of these things is not like the other.

"It was just this afternoon," Emma pointed out. _Does she really like me this much? Maybe she just likes everyone this much. _Emma had certainly seen evidence for the latter.

"I mean for more than a second, Emma. We're sisters! We should spend more time together." Snow clapped her on the back and then walked off, taking Emma with her.

"I've got work," Emma replied lamely, her favorite excuse for not spending time with Snow, but also quite true. Despite all of this, Emma just wanted her normal life. Sure, it was a life she lived out of the back of her car, but it made sense to her. It asked no demands on her and she could always pack up and leave if things got hard. _Maybe I can leave all of this behind. Go south. Castia is supposed to be nice and it is technically part of this country, so I don't need a passport_. Of course, she did not speak Castian, so that could be a problem.

"I don't understand why you want to do such dangerous work, Emma. You should look for a position in the government or in the military, since you're interested in law enforcement," Snow said, wrapping her arm around Emma's.

A golden eyebrow arched. "Interested in law enforcement?"

"Yes. You do catch lawbreakers, after all."

"I catch bail-jumpers. It's not the same thing." Besides, it was one of the few jobs she could get with her educational background, or lack thereof. Plus, it paid well and she did not have to take her clothes off to do it.

"Still, you should do something safer. We'll talk to Father about it over dinner."

Emma stopped at the mention of dinner. "Wait, before we go in there, did you tell him about today?"

"Tell him what?" Snow asked with a wrinkled brow.

Emma frowned, wanting to believe Snow was as innocent as she acted, but no one was _that_ fucking innocent. "That you saw me with Regina."

"I mentioned you two seemed to know each other, but you didn't know she was Father's beloved. How did you two meet?" Snow asked curiously.

"I saved her son." _Stay as close to the truth as possible_. She had learned this the hard way. Keeping up with a million tall tales was hard and way too easy to unravel with very few words.

Snow laughed. "That's so ironic! She and Father met when she saved me."

Emma let loose a chuckle and hoped it did not sound as uncomfortable to Snow as it did to her. "Yeah, she was telling me. You were on a runaway horse."

"Yeah, you'd think I'd be able to handle a horse since I've been trained on one since birth almost, but it was like the thing was demon possessed. Regina came in like an angel and pulled me onto her horse and also managed to calm the demon horse down. I swear she's like a horse whisperer!" Snow tittered.

"I wouldn't know. I haven't seen her ride." Emma did not know how to ride. She was a city girl through and through. Of course, all nobles knew how to ride; apparently, some better than others.

"Oh, we'll go out with her once she officially moves into the palace. I understand her wanting to finish up her term as mayor, but she could have married Father and continued doing her job," Snow said, waving the whole matter off as if Regina's decision was frivolous. For some reason, this made Emma's teeth itch a bit.

"I dunno. An elected official of a small town married to the Fates-ordained executive of the whole country, it could look a little like a conflict of interest on her part," Emma pointed out.

Waving it off again, Snow laughed. "What? It's not like she's a senator."

Emma shrugged. That was true, but it would still be weird. "Maybe she just doesn't want it to look funny."

"I suppose. So, how did you save her son? When did you even meet her son?" Snow continued toward whatever room they were dining in.

"As it turns out, I drive through her town a lot when I head up north. So, I saved her son and we got to know each other. Clearly, we didn't know each other as well as I thought we did."

Snow nodded, as if she knew it all. "That's okay. Regina is a very closed off person. I mean, I've known her for three years now and I don't know that much about her. She used to come around more often when she wasn't mayor, but she's busy. We'll see her a lot more once she's family." Snow literally skipped.

_Gods-be-damned, I might think Snow's in love with Regina if I didn't know better_. Emma felt like she had a headache coming on and it did not get any better as they got to the small room; what she learned was called a sitting room. Leopold smiled as they entered and Emma's stomach twisted. She hoped she only had to run through the full explanation once.

"Snow. Emma." He hugged both of them and kissed their cheeks. Emma disliked the way his beard scratched her face. "It's wonderful to see you, especially you, Emma. I wish you would come by more often." His eyes shined, almost like he meant it. Maybe he did. She did not care.

Emma shrugged. "Well, you know, work."

"How is work?" he asked, pulling out chairs for both her and Snow.

The size of the room made the meal seem intimate, like a family dinner. It was like the things on television, except the foods laid out were like those in an expensive restaurant she could never afford. This was one of the reasons why Emma did not like to eat here. She always felt like an outsider, a fraud. It was like she was the ugly duckling.

It did not help matters that the servants stuck around. They tried to blend into the background, but Emma was hypersensitive to their presence. Snow and Leopold carried on as if they were not there, though, like food just magically appeared on their plates and the meat cut itself. Emma still was not used to the fact that someone wanted to cut her steak like she was a child.

"Work is work, you know," Emma answered, as if that made any sense to a man whose job it was to run an entire country and argue with the Senate when their requests and demands made his job harder, as he and Snow told it anyway.

"Ah," Leopold replied with a polite nod. He ate a bit of his food.

"Oh, Father, did you know that Emma stops in Storybrooke whenever her job takes her up north?" Snow asked with an eager smile. Emma was not sure if she was trying to salvage the conversation or if she really did just have a big mouth like Regina all but said.

"Does it?" he inquired with a little smile.

"It's how she met Regina," Snow offered with a grin before she sampled some of her dinner.

_Dear dead gods and all the Fates, does Snow just tell everything?! Shit! _Emma would need all sorts of alcohol and headache medication after this. Definitely not in that order or back to back, but still, lots of both. In fact, she checked the nearby ivory chalice – because a cup with Snoopy on it was simply not an option in the royal palace – and noted it held wine. _Okay, so time for a drink right now_. She took a healthy gulp.

"You've met Regina?" Leopold asked, as if Snow had not told him the whole thing. Probably over lunch with her perfect prince David… who, Emma honestly had no problems with, but she was pissed right now.

"Yeah, I met Regina. Snow saw us today. We were gonna go to dinner," Emma said, like this was perfectly normal.

"Dinner? Why?" Snow asked, sipping her own wine.

"Yes, why?" Leopold inquired, his forehead slightly furrowed.

"Because I know Regina and I needed some help… personal help," Emma replied.

"Personal help? Emma, we could help you. We're your family. You can come to us with _anything_," Snow insisted, giving Emma one of her watery smiles. Sometimes, Emma wondered if Snow hurt her face with all of her smiling. Surely her cheeks got sore every now and then at the least.

Snow wore her emotions on her sleeve when it came to Emma, which often made Emma feel guilty. She just did not feel this connection Snow wished was there. Snow seemed to think she could will a sisterly bond into existence between them. Truthfully, Emma was not sure why Snow even wanted such a connection, but she was not opposed to it. She just could not devote the same energy to it as Snow. Hell, she might even be more open to it if Snow just dialed it back a bit.

"Yeah, but I didn't think you'd understand," Emma replied with a light shrug. Hopefully, that would take the sting out of things for Snow.

"Wouldn't understand? Emma, we're here for you." Leopold reached over and patted her hand. She repressed a shudder and resisted the urge to pull her hand away. "Besides, do you really know Regina that well? You haven't been here when she's come around."

_Of course I haven't been here. I only just got here about two years ago_. In between losing her mother and deciding she suddenly wanted to know her son, she had met King Leopold and Princess Snow White. It had not helped her do anything but spiral more. If she saw a psychiatrist, she was certain the doctor would tell her that her need to know her son was connected to meeting this father and half-sister. She did not care about the why, though.

"I've been around Regina a lot. I saved her son from falling down an old fairy dust mine," Emma answered.

Leopold's eyes went wide for a moment. While it was not a bizarre reaction, it still caught Emma's attention. From now on, through this explanation, she would focus on the King. He was the important element anyway. He was Regina's fiancé, after all. _Lucky bastard_.

"All right, you saved her son. What does this have to do with today?" Leopold asked in his quiet voice, glancing down for a moment to focus on his food. He chewed slowly, casually, but he leaned forward a little too much as he looked up at her. It just seemed weird.

Everything about his demeanor bothered Emma, but his voice was second only to his touch. He spoke in this small, patient tone, as if it suggested he was a good guy. But, a good guy did not leave a kid the way he did. Hell, a good guy did not marry a woman who was young enough to be his daughter because her mother made the suggestion.

"Well, I wanted to talk to her about…" Emma took a breath. "I had a son." Snow gasped, surprised by the news. Leopold barely flinched and then suddenly his mouth fell open, like he was surprised. _No, you're not a good liar, sire. You knew_.

"You have a son? Since when?" Snow asked almost eagerly. This was just some new mess she could get involved in.

"Since I was seventeen. I had him in jail." Emma winced, knowing what was coming next.

Snow's gasp was louder this time. "You went to jail?" And Leopold was not surprised, but he leaned forward some more, rather interested in where this was going.

Sighing, Emma put her fork down to rub her forehead. "I gave him up for adoption and I've been thinking about him lately."

"Oh, Emma. I don't think I could ever do that," Snow said. She reached over and clutched Emma's hand. "You could've told me, though. I would've helped you."

Emma had to bite back the question of, "help how?" Instead, she smiled at Snow a bit and reminded herself that the princess meant well. Leopold watched carefully, waiting for the rest of the story.

"I wanted to talk to Regina because I know she adopted her son." For some reason, Leopold got tense. It was fairly common knowledge, to everyone except Henry anyway before she opened her mouth, so she did not see why the King tensed. "I wanted to ask her opinion if she thought it'd be a good idea for me to look for my son, contact him. Well, see if I could contact him anyway. I figure if anyone would know how an adoptive parent would feel about a biological parent showing up, it'd be an adoptive parent, right?" Emma said and Leopold exhaled.

"I suppose this is correct," Leopold replied with a slightly nod. "What did she say?" He tilted his head a bit.

"She said it wouldn't be a good idea," Emma answered. It certainly was the answer Regina would have given if asked, especially if this was a year and a half ago.

"Hmm…" Leopold nodded and rubbed his palms together slowly. "So, do you not want to meet your son anymore?"

"I think it would be best if he tried to contact me when he's ready," Emma answered.

"Is that why you were holding her hand when I saw you and you ran off?" Snow asked.

Emma almost flinched, but managed to hold it in. Snow really was not holding back and part of Emma wondered if Snow was trying to catch her in a lie. "It was just a very emotional time, Snow. I couldn't deal."

Snow nodded and patted Emma's hand. "Well, remember, we are here for you."

Leopold nodded, too. "Yes, we're here for you. If you ever feel this way again, you can speak with us and since Regina is soon to be part of the family, you'll be able to go to her as well."

"You know, I didn't know Henry was adopted, but I guess that makes sense," Snow said.

"You didn't know? I thought you guys were close," Emma pointed out. The entire town of Storybrooke knew Henry was adopted. Thankfully, they did not know Emma was his birth mother.

"No, I wish we were close, but she's not around that much. When she was around, we talked for hours, but she never mentioned Henry being adopted. It makes sense, though. I mean she's never been married. She was almost married, though," Snow chattered.

Emma arched an eyebrow. "She was? Now _that_, she never mentioned." _What the hell? How many skeletons can Regina have in her fucking closet, especially with all the damn designer clothes already in there?_

"Oh, I'm not surprised. He died," Snow replied.

"He died?" Emma frowned. _Why didn't Regina ever say anything? But, then again, I only just told her about my mother, so maybe it's not my place to question her_.

"Maybe this is a little too morose from the dinner table," Leopold said. "We should eat."

The ladies did not argue it and Leopold waved servants over to refresh whatever needed to be taken care. The servants prepared more warm food for the plates, which Emma thought was excessive. All of the food was right there. They could have easily gotten it themselves, but that was not how things were done here. Once everything was "perfect," they continued on eating.

"So, Snow, how's things with David?" Emma asked before having some of her mashed potatoes, new ones because the servant seemed to think the other ones were too cold.

Snow smiled and her eyes twinkled, as they often did when she got to talk about David. Emma doubted she had seen someone so obviously in love like Snow was. _Lucky her_.

"Great. I can't wait for the wedding. Emma, you're going to look so pretty in your bridesmaid dress!" Snow squealed.

"Yeah, sure," Emma mumbled. She was not looking forward to the dress, having already been fitted for it.

"Then, we can get you married!" Snow White actually clapped at this idea.

"Uh… hold on." Emma put up a hand. "You're moving too quickly for me. I don't even have someone."

"We could always arrange a marriage for you, Emma," Leopold offered. "I know it might not sound romantic to you, but arranged marriages actually works out more often than a love match usually."

"Plus, you can fall in love, like I did with David," Snow added. Theirs had been an arranged marriage, but it certainly worked out for them.

Emma shook her head. "Nah, I don't think marriage is for me. At least, not right now. I mean, I've got a lot on my plate."

Snow scoffed and curled her mouth up. "Really?" She leveled a look at Emma.

"Yes!" Emma insisted.

"Doing what?" Snow challenged her, smiling a bit.

Emma laughed. _I think I would've liked having her as a sister growing up. Sure, she'd probably dime me out to the old man whenever we did something wrong, but it still would've been fun_. "Doing… stuff. Take my word on it!"

Snow laughed, too. They went through this little back and forth, Leopold watching on with a smile. At the end of the night, Emma was ready to concede things were not that bad after they got over the Regina stuff. And, then it got worse when she stepped away to be alone. She wanted to call Regina and tell her things were all right, but Leopold approached her while she was still in the hallway.

"Are you sure you're all right, Emma?" the King asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"I'm glad Regina was able to help you."

Emma nodded and hoped he would go away. Of course, it was too much to hope. Instead, he stood next to her, silent and looking away. She sighed and put her phone away, having a feeling she would not have a moment alone yet.

"So, you saved her son?" Leopold asked.

"Yeah."

"Lucky for him you were there. Why were you around Storybrooke?"

_Why's he so curious now? I thought this was done with dinner_. "Like I said, I go through there when I have work up north or sometimes when I have to head east. I'm good friends with a waitress there. So, one day while I was there, the town was in an uproar, looking for the mayor's missing son. I'm good at finding people, so I helped out. I just lucked out, I guess." She shrugged one shoulder.

Leopold nodded. "I'd think Henry lucked out. It's amazing she told you he was adopted. She never really says things about it. People are usually judgmental about those things. Yes, I know the town knows she adopted him, but they were there from the moment she brought him home, I would imagine. She never speaks about it and no one there ever says anything. When did she tell you this?"

_He's suspicious, but of what? Does he think I'm too close to Regina? Maybe this story makes us seem too close_. Well, she was locked into this story, but thankfully it was close enough to the truth for her to continue improvising.

"Not too long ago. Being around Henry just kind of triggered memories of the son I gave away, so I told her and then she told me Henry was adopted. I guess she just wanted to help me get through things. I wanted to give my son his best chance and her telling me Henry was adopted lets me think my kid got adopted by a good family, too," Emma explained. _Your move, old man_.

Smiling softly, he nodded. "I'm sure your son is in a good place. Maybe we should look for him."

Staring at him hard, she arched an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Well, he is your son, so he's our blood."

Emma almost frowned, but she caught herself. This bothered her, too. _There's just something really funny about this_. She felt like she was being hustled. _Well, you can't con a conman_. _Okay, you can, but fool me twice shame on me_.

"What if he's happy where he is? We can't just upend him," Emma pointed out. She knew what it was liked to be plucked away from a happy home, to be sent back to a biological mom who was not the best mother, if she was being kind about it.

"Eventually, Emma, he will have to learn of his heritage. It might be best while he's young. A child is also more resilient than an adult, more likely to cope with the change."

"Is this about me?" Emma demanded. It was not her fault she did not know a damn thing about her heritage and she was not coping well. She was the King's dirty little secret, after all! If anything, it was _his_ fault!

He held up a hand to calm her. "No, no. Of course not. I just think it would be best for the lad if he learned of his lineage sooner rather than later. It will lessen the shock. Wouldn't it have lessened the shock for you to learn your lineage at seven than at twenty-two?"

"I dunno…" _Did he just pull seven out of his ass, do the math, or pick it because that's how old Henry is?_

"I think the younger age would be best. Besides, no matter his circumstances, wouldn't it be best to be the son of a princess?"

Emma shrugged. Being the daughter of the King was not so great as far as Emma was concerned. Yeah, it was nice to not have to worry about where her next meal would come from and she could afford a roof over her head, but it left her with so many questions, questions the King had avoided with the skill of the politician he was. She hated it.

"You don't think he would like to be a prince?" Leopold asked.

"I'm sure that's every boy's dream." _He's Regina's little prince. Maybe that's enough for him. Of course, His Royal Majesty would never think that_.

"His could come true. Not very many boys can say that. Maybe you should let me look for him. I'm sure I could find him."

Emma gave him a sidelong glance. _Maybe it's just my nerves_. "You don't have to."

He gave her a small smile. It seemed practiced to her, like something he did at banquets and photo ops, but she knew she was biased. "I would like to. Consider this, I look and then I can give you the information if I find anything? You can decide on what to do with it. Or maybe I won't be able to find him. It was a closed adoption?"

"Yes." This was a lie. She had always known who adopted her son, in a vague sense anyway. She did not have Regina's information, but she knew Regina's name and status, her son's name, and she had left contact information. It was supposed to be so she knew he was well taken care of and so he could look for her one day if he wanted to, but she had used it the other way around. Regina had also known about her, but seemed to think she would never show up in Henry's life until she did.

"From that, I might not be able to find anything. There's always a chance we will never know him."

And there it was, the reason why this whole thing bothered her. Leopold was lying. She could just tell. He knew something about her son. _Shit, does he know who my son is? If so, why the hell would he still marry Regina? Duh! This gives him more control over the situation. Shit! I need to do something before my son becomes my brother._

"Well, I can't stop you from looking for him," Emma said with a shrug. She already knew he would do what he wanted and he probably already knew anyway. She needed to worry about other things.

Leopold nodded and offered her another soft smile. "I don't want to get your hopes up. I'll start the necessary with work. Will you stay in the palace tonight?"

"I've got a room over a hotel, though." She made a meaningless gesture behind her with her thumb.

He gave her a weary sigh. "Emma, you live here. You don't have to be a nomad anymore. You're welcomed here. It's your home."

Smiling, she nodded. "It takes some getting used to." She would never get used to it. It would never be home.

"You will." He clapped her on the back. It was gentle and probably supposed to be encouraging, but she squirmed anyway. He ignored it. "Have a good night."

Emma breathed a sigh of relief when the King walked off. Instead of making her call right then and there, she rushed off for some privacy. Jogging through one of the gardens, she eased herself behind a statue; a monument to some ancestor Emma did not know and certainly did not care about. She dialed Regina, who did not pick up. She left a voicemail, even though she planned to try until Regina answered her phone.

"Regina, they bought the story. We're good. I think there's something up about Leopold marrying you, though. Has he ever shown a weird interest in Henry? Call me back," Emma said in a rush.

While trying to get through and waiting for some sign of life from Regina, Emma paced. _Damn, she's made me a pacer_. Regina had done something to her and then cut and run. _Maybe I'm better off. She was never mine anyway_. _She was the fucking King's! Shit, what the fuck am I doing?_

"Yeah, so I should just write this off. Go back to my life," Emma said. But, she had not been able to go back to her life for a long time, long before Regina, before Leopold, even before prison. _Maybe I never had a life to go back to_. It did not feel like that anymore, though, and she knew Regina and Henry were the cause.

Before she could think too deeply on that, her phone went off. She got a text from Regina. Opening it, she read the simple message: _the wedding date has been set. Do not contact me anymore_. Even with that, Emma typed a reply, but there was no response.

"Shit," Emma hissed and then rushed off.

-8-8-8-8-

Regina sat in her office, frowning at the empty glass on her desk. She had paced herself out, arguing with her mother. Well, more like listening to her mother and trying to explain, but getting nowhere, which was the story of her life, really. Her mother wanted the wedding to happen as soon as possible. She expected a phone call from Leopold at any moment. Thankfully, Emma stopped calling an hour ago. Leopold called right on time, though.

"Regina, your mother just phoned me. She says we should get married as soon as Henry has his next school break. It would afford you the chance to go on a honeymoon as she could watch him at her Manor," Leopold explained.

_Not bloody likely_. "I don't understand the rush. I told her we already agreed I would finish my term." _How the hell did Snow tell my mother so quickly? Or did she tell her father who told my mother? _The latter was a much stronger possibility.

"Yes, but she and I agreed this is silly. You marrying me doesn't really affect your career, doesn't affect you being mayor. You earned your position long before I came into play."

"It does. While I might be elected, you appointed the governor of the province. Whenever I have dealings in province business, this could come into play."

"No more than you being engaged to me."

"Our engagement has been a secret." Regina had insisted because she did not want this to affect her life. Now, it was doing nothing but that.

"That has gone on long enough. My daughter should not be married before I am," he argued. "So, we will be married at the next school break. We can tour Castia as a honeymoon."

_So you can show me off?_ This was not something she understood, even though she knew it was part of her appeal to him. As far as she knew, Castians did not like her, even if she was the only member of the royal family not dead or in exile. She was not a symbol of hope, but of treachery._ Castians would prefer shoot me than praise you. After all, they view my father a coward and a traitor_. Of course, maybe Leopold had different intelligence. After all, he still wanted to marry her to quell the problems in her homeland, his conquered territory. _I wonder if he's considered pulling the military out of the area. I'm sure that would help quell some of the tension_.

"It will be a wonderful ceremony. Everything you have ever dreamed of. Your mother told me she has your wedding dress already," he continued on.

Regina sighed and sank deeper into her chair. Her mother had her wedding dress ready since she was eighteen. This was inevitable and she had put it off long enough. At least this way, Emma would be safe and Henry would still be able to see her.

"I look forward to it," Regina managed. Her throat was tight, so the words were rather strangled.

He did not even notice. "Wonderful. Your mother and I will make all of the arrangements." He hung up on that note.

Regina groaned and rubbed her forehead. Everything hurt. How could everything feel like she had gone through a war when she had not been physically touched? She had felt Hell many times, but this was something new, something beyond. She was not sure how to even begin processing this. _Don't process. Just put it in a box, lock it away, and press on_.

Climbing to her feet, she went to check on Henry. He was in his room, playing with his toys. Once he went to bed, she planned to drink her problems away. A knock on the front door right after Henry went to bed halted that plan. Before she made it to the door, it opened, so she knew who it was.

"Miss Swan, I gave you that key for emergencies and also told you to stay away," Regina growled. _Why does this blasted fool of a woman never listen?_

Emma shut the door and rushed her, standing before her with a frantic look in her eyes. "Regina, don't marry him. Don't marry Leopold."

"It's too late, Emma. This was in the works long before you came along."

"I know, but don't do it. I know you don't want to and I don't want you to."

Regina arched an eyebrow. "Oh? And what should I do, marry you instead?" she scoffed.

"Yes!" Emma grabbed her hands and held them tightly, almost too tight. "Regina, marry me." Regina was too shocked to tell her how stupid that idea was, at least right away.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Regina's response. It'll probably have something to do with Emma being an idiot.


	5. Partnership

I don't own these characters.

5: Partnership

Emma knew Regina thought she was an idiot, but she had to take a chance. Regina needed to take a chance. They needed to do what they wanted to do instead of letting Leopold control their destinies. Plus, Leopold was up to something. Emma was sure of it.

"Emma, that's ridiculous. Do you know what would happen if we got married?" Regina inquired with some desperation in her voice. It actually cracked. Her eyes, though ablaze, glistened.

"Uh… we'd live happily ever after?" Emma guessed, still holding Regina. They had been going pretty good for quite a while now, after all.

"No!" Regina roared, hands slicing through the air, cutting her connection to Emma. Intense, hard brown eyes stared at her. "My mother would kill you. Literally, _kill_ you."

"Regina, you don't have to worry about your mother. She can't do anything, especially if we get married. She can't force you to marry Leopold and he can't use you to appease the Castians," Emma said, pulling Regina close to her, holding her tight. She needed Regina to realize what she realized – they needed to live their lives for them.

"No, Emma, my mother will kill you!" Regina pushed away, shoving Emma in the chest. Emma stared at her and Regina panted, clenching and unclenching her fists. "I mean, really kill you. If she thinks I'm romantically associated with you in any way she will slay you. It has happened before."

Emma blinked. "Your mother killed someone?"

Regina sniffled and took a deep breath. As she slowly released it, she let her hands fall to her side. "Let's take this to the den. I don't want to wake Henry."

Emma nodded, wrapping an arm around Regina's shoulders. She was the one who led Regina into the den and they sat on the couch. At first, Regina curled into her, but then she suddenly pushed away. Regina retreated to the far end of the sofa. Emma decided not to think about it and just focus on what had Regina, the coolest, calmest person she knew most of the time, to seriously freak out. She had not seen Regina in this state since Henry thought it was a good idea to climb down a mine.

"Regina, please, tell me what has you freaking out. Why are you going to go through with marrying Leopold when you don't want to? Why are you letting him and your mother bully you into this?" Emma asked. It did not make any sense. Regina was so strong, so independent. No one pushed her around and, yet, here she was, playing the tamed puppy.

Regina stared at her so intently and Emma squirmed a bit. "Emma, I don't want you to get hurt. Like I said, if you stand in the way of Mother's plans, she will kill you. Perhaps with her own two hands."

Emma shook her head. "Yeah, I need that explanation here because I just don't see how your mother could be involved in murder." Regina's mother was probably some snooty socialite. How could she kill anyone?

Regina sighed, her shoulders sagging with a heavy burden. Rubbing her palms together, she took another deep breath. Emma waited patiently as Regina's eyes searched the ceiling for something that was probably beyond both of them. The silence was heavy, but when she spoke, Regina's voice seemed infinitely heavier, even though it was soft and low.

"I once loved a man, Emma. A gentle and kind man. His name was Daniel. We were supposed to be a family. He loved Henry and Henry loved him. Daniel called Henry his little mustang."

Emma's brow furrowed. "Mustang? He was a mechanic?" _Fates, does Regina just like slumming it?_

Regina chuckled sadly. "No, a horse trainer. I met him because of horses."

A little half-smile worked its way onto Emma's face. "Snow told me you ride."

"Used to. I don't anymore. But, I loved Daniel, so much." There was another deep breath and she looked at the ceiling again, but probably just remembering Daniel this time.

"And what makes you think your mother had him killed?"

"My mother always had high hopes for me and she pushed me to excel. She was not happy when I brought home this 'stable boy,' as she called him." Regina sneered, her mouth twisting. "And then, I saved that damned…" Regina took a deep breath. "I saved the Princess. The King was so impressed. He offered me his hand before I even told him my name. I declined. I was engaged to Daniel at the time. Two days later, he somehow fell from his horse and broke his neck."

Emma flinched. "Wow. But, that doesn't mean your mother killed him. It could be a coincidence." _A weird coincidence, but it could be_.

"Emma, the day I turned down the King's proposal, my mother looked me dead in the eye and said if I didn't reconsider his offer, I would regret it. She promised me she would change my mind."

_Okay, so that's a little creepy and very foreboding_. Taking a deep breath, Emma nodded. "Okay, maybe not so much a coincidence."

Regina took a deep breath, as if needing to steady herself. Her hands balled into tight fists, clutching the edge of her skirt. "Daniel's body wasn't even cold when she accepted the proposal. Well, when I accepted the proposal." Her voice was low, but there was such a hard bitterness to it. Her body looked like it was shaking, but another deep breath and that stopped before Emma could be sure.

"Regina, it could've been an accident." It did not sound like one, but it could have been. "He could've fallen from his horse."

"Emma, this man was practically born on a horse and then it just so happens after the King wants my hand, he dies? No, it was no accident." Regina shook her head. "I can't let that happen to you, too. So, forget this ridiculous idea." She waved it off with a flick of the wrist. "It will be better for both of us."

"Well, what about what would be best for Henry?" Emma asked.

Regina frowned. "It would be best for Henry that his birth mother not die in some mysterious accident… or one not so mysterious, depending on Mother's mood."

"Yeah, but wouldn't it be even better if his parents, the only two parents he has, were together? We could be a family. Do you think you'll have that with Leopold, who I think is marrying you just to tie up the loose end of his bloodline?"

Regina scowled, deeper and harder than before. "I think it would be best for Henry if you didn't die, Emma. You'll be able to see him grow up and he can still be with you, even if it is in some strange, almost twisted manner."

"I don't accept that, Regina! I don't accept any of this and I won't let him use you to get to Henry or to quell the bad blood with Castia," Emma declared and she stood up. She patted herself on the chest. "I'm not just good enough here, Regina, I'm the better choice." _For once, I'm the better choice and she needs to see that_.

Regina's eyebrows curled up. "The better choice?"

"We're good together, Regina, and I mean that way beyond the awesome sex we have. I'm so much better with you than I was without you and Henry. Leopold can't say that. He doesn't make you happy, doesn't make you better, like I know I do. He doesn't and he can't. He doesn't even care about you, not you as a person. He doesn't care about Regina or know Regina. I do," Emma said, dropping to her knee. "I do."

"Emma…" Regina reached out, touching Emma's cheek. A tear escaped Emma's eye and Regina wiped it away with the soft pad of her thumb.

"I know you're scared and you're worried, but this makes sense. We make sense and I don't want it to end, I don't want it to stop. And, I think you don't either."

Sighing, Regina leaned down and pressed her forehead to Emma's. "Of course I don't want it to stop, but it has to, Emma. We both always knew that. I was promised to the King. If we were to disobey this solemn oath, then we'd be traitors to the Crown. Not to mention, my mother would be out of her mind with rage."

"Regina, think about it. They actually couldn't do a damn thing to us."

Regina's forehead wrinkled. "What do you mean?"

"I thought about this on the way over. So, lemme tell you why this is a good idea." Emma straightened her shoulders. She only had one time to get this right.

Regina sighed as if this was some great burden. "For future reference, you should try to lead with the explanation after proposing your obviously maniacal plan."

Emma gave her a little smile. "It's actually ingenious. We get married right now. When the King finds out, he actually can't do anything about it without looking incredibly bad. He can't force us to get divorced and then marry you because he would be stealing his daughter's wife. He can't say we're no good for each other since he was going to marry you and you've got my biological kid. He can't label us traitors as it just makes him look like a sore loser. Plus, I'd tell everything about him, my mother, and what he did to cover it all up."

"Did I say this plan was maniacal? I'm sorry. I should have used the term _completely_ _insane_. You want to blackmail the King?" Regina's frown was expected, but the way she threw hands up like this whole thing was utterly nuts was not. Emma did not care about how crazy Regina seemed to think the plan was, though.

"Nope." Emma smiled more. "I just want to show him he can't always get what he wants just because he wants it. What about what we want, Regina? I want you. I want this family. I want us. What do you want?" she inquired, staring at Regina as intensely as possible.

Regina swallowed hard. "What do I want?" she said it like no one had ever asked her, like this never occurred to her. "No." She shook her head and her voice cracked. "I can't want anything, Emma. Every time I do, something bad happens."

"Something bad will happen if you don't do want you want here, Regina. You'll live your life in misery. You'll be a prisoner to the King's whims. Regina, I love you!" Emma declared and then gasped. _Shit, should I have said that? Do I love her? Shit, I think I do. Shit_.

Dark chocolate eyes blinked. "You love me?"

They had never let those words slip, even in the throngs of their most passionate lovemaking. Those were powerful words, to both of them. Emma definitely did not take them lightly, did not use them with anyone. In fact, she had only used them once and felt the emotion twice. Both times it came back to bite her in the ass.

"Regina, I do love you. I love you so much and it really, _really_ scares me, but it scares me more to possibly lose you."

Regina's eyes shined, wet with emotion hopefully. "I don't want to lose you either, Emma. My mother will kill you and you'll be gone forever." Okay, so her eyes were wet with sorrow.

Emma shook her head. "No, Regina. This lets you beat your mother. Even if she does kill me, the King can't marry you. How the hell does it look for him to marry his daughter's widow? He has to keep his good guy image. I mean, this is the guy that created the Family Act, which is all about keeping families together and making sure they can survive. He can't do something that looks gross and marrying your daughter's widow is gross. You know the Senate will use anything against him, _anything_, to boost their power."

Emma hated to make this seem like a power play or that Regina was a pawn, but they had so many things on their side as long as they acted now. They could get what they desired and deserved. Yes, this was incredibly impulsive and overwhelmingly rash and maybe even – scratch that – it _was_ dangerous, but this was the right thing to do.

"Regina, I can't say any more beyond I love you and I want to spend my life with you. I want us to be a family with Henry. This isn't some ploy to get over. I want this. I love you," Emma begged for Regina to understand.

"Emma…" Regina's voice cracked. For a few seconds, her mouth moved, but nothing came out. "I would… I would love… to marry you."

Emma swallowed hard. "But?"

Usually perfect brunette hair went flying as Regina shook her head. "No but. I would love to marry you."

Emma blinked. Maybe she heard wrong. "You… you would?"

With glistening brown eyes, Regina nodded. "Yes. I would."

"Right now, right? Not in some fantasy playing out in my head?" Emma asked to be sure. Hell, maybe this was a fantasy playing out in her head. She had a lot to drink earlier. Maybe she had not sobered up like she thought and was now having a booze-fueled dream.

"Yes, right now. That is the only way for this ridiculous scheme to work, correct?" Regina let loose a nervous titter.

Emma gave a strong nod. "Right."

"Then let's do it while I'm temporarily insane and actually not ready to martyr myself."

Emma grinned and puffed out her chest a little. "Good. It's about time you listened to me. So, what do we need to do to get married right now?"

"This is your insane idea, so you should know what we need." That sounded almost normal and Regina glared at her, as if everything was fine. _If only_.

Emma snorted and shrugged. "Hey, I only got to the proposing idea and why this would work. I figured you'd handle the leg work once I got you to agree."

Chuckling, Regina smiled and then kissed Emma. Emma smiled back as well as returned the kiss. Regina agreed to marry her. The very thought made her heart thump in her heart and her stomach flipped.

"We need rings!" Emma cheered, sitting back on the couch. She pulled Regina close to her.

"You go out and try to find a jewelry store still open at nine while I call a magistrate. Also, you might want to find a witness," Regina suggested, running her fingers through Emma's hair for no reason.

Emma's brow furrowed. "A magistrate?" _The hell is that?_

"Yes, Emma, we will need someone to make this legal. It won't work if we pull a marriage license out of a cereal box."

Emma's eyebrows drew in close. "Do they put marriage licenses in cereal boxes? Seems like a really weird prize."

"Emma, you need to be serious."

Emma laughed. "Sorry, I'm nervous. I mean, you agreed to marry me!" She pushed herself up just enough to kiss Regina again. When she pulled away, the smile playing on Regina's lips made her laugh.

The mayor sniffed and sat up a little straighter. "Celebrate later. We need to do this right now, as you pointed out."

"Okay." Emma took a deep breath. "Okay. So, you can get a magistrate this late in your little sleepy town?"

"Emma, before becoming mayor, I was a very successful prosecutor for the county. I know you think I'm some horrible dragon woman, but I did make a few connections."

Emma chuckled. "While I don't think you're a horrible dragon woman anymore, if I did, you'd be _my_ horrible dragon woman. So, meet back here in an hour?"

"Yes. Make sure you bring a witness."

"A witness?" _Why do we need a witness? I don't get it._

"Yes. We need at least two to sign."

"Okay."

"And try to think of some vows while you're at it," Regina said.

"Anything else, your Majesty?" Emma teased. There was no way in hell she would be able to think of wedding vows while trying to find any credible jeweler open in Storybrooke right now.

"Just one thing." Regina slid off of the couch, onto one knee. In her skirt!

Emma gasped and then shook her head frantically. "No, no, no. Regina, you can't propose to me."

"Emma Swan, you came into my life like a psychotic whirlwind and I thought for sure you were out to destroy me, take my son, and ruin everything I had worked for. Instead, you built me up, took me out of shadows I had been happy to dwell in, brought new light into our son's life, and ruined me for any other lover. I can't imagine living a happy life without you in it. So, will you marry me?" Regina pulled off a ring on her right hand and held it up.

"Damn it, Regina, you're making me cry!" Emma wiped away tears. "And I'm the butch one. I was supposed to propose."

Regina's smile was practically impish. "You did. I just did it the proper way."

Emma could not help the laugh that escaped her and wiped away more tears. "Of course." She took the ring. "And of course I'll marry you." Unfortunately, the ring did not fit the proper finger. "Now I have to find a necklace to put this one, too."

Regina smiled as she climbed to her feet. "Then we should get to work."

"Yeah, but first, this." Emma leaned down and kissed Regina. For some reason, this one actually calmed her down instead of riled her up like kissing Regina tended to do. She felt focused, so she would be able to go out and do the tasks set to her.

-8-8-8-8-

Regina's heartbeat had to rival a hummingbird's wing speed. She needed an outfit for this wondrous event. She would marry Emma. The idea made her feel giddy, like a child going to the fair. _By the Fates, we're going to die. My __m__other and Leopold will kill us_. Certainly her mother would, if no one else. Yet, she continued her search. Once she found something worthy of getting married in, she laid it out and then went to wake Henry. He would want to witness this.

"Henry, sweetheart, wake up, please." Regina gently shook him.

He groaned, of course, and tried to burrow deeper into his pillow. Regina had to smile. He was so cute. She continued to shake him and he grimaced, bringing up a hand to rub his eye. He blinked several times, turning to her.

"Mom?" his usually cute little voice was gruff.

"Sweetheart, I need you to get up and get dressed."

"Dressed? Why? What's goin' on?" He yawned, not bothering to cover his mouth.

"You'll see. You'll like it."

He smiled, even though he was still fuzzy from sleep. While he gathered himself, she went to his closet and pulled out one of his suits. He had plenty, just in case. The midnight blue one had a vest with it, which would be adorable. She dressed him while he was still rubbing his eyes and trying to figure out what was going on.

"How come I gotta wear my Priory clothes? S'too late for the Priory and it's not even Sunday," he pointed out.

Shaking her head, she rushed him into the bathroom and grabbed his brush. "I know, but this is the best suit you have. I know this is confusing, but it'll make sense soon. Now, hold still, I need to brush you hair."

"I should wash my face."

"Yes, you should." _I should've thought of that!_

Henry washed his face and brushed his teeth, careful of his clothes. She brushed his hair and then finished dressing him. She made sure to put a tie on him. She sniffled. He was about to see his mothers get married. She leaned down, smoothing out his vest, even though it did not need it.

"You are so handsome," her voice wobbled and tears gathered in the corners of her eyes.

"Mom…" His little hand came up and wiped away her tears. "Are you okay?" He leaned in a little, all concern and boyish charm.

"I'm fine. Better than fine. I promise."

"But, you're tearing."

Regina nodded. "They're happy tears."

His eyes got big for a moment, completely understanding. "Oh. Okay, like when you laugh too much."

A chuckle burst from her and she nodded. "Now, can you go into your room and wait? I really want this to be a surprise for you."

He smiled brightly at her. "I like surprises."

She smiled back and brushed his hair with her hand. "I know."

He trotted off to wait and she returned to her room. Rushing, she washed her face and dried it. She needed to reapply her makeup and fix her hair. She checked her phone to see how much time she had left before Emma would be back and she certainly did not have much.

"It'll be my luck that this will be the first time she's early in the history of her life," Regina muttered as she returned to her dress.

She did not own any plain white dresses, as that was not her style. She had one dress that was white with a black lace design that looked like branches and leaves on one side. It was worn to a party once. While it was not her ideal wedding dress, it was better than getting married in her work clothes.

Her phone ringing distracted her, the sound of swing music filtering through air. It was Emma because Emma was swing music to her. Light, upbeat, and fun, but annoying if listened to for too long. "I'm getting dressed," she informed her bride-to-be.

"Okay, well, I'm down here. I brought Ruby as my witness and she's catching up the magistrate right now. How do you know this guy again? He's been having a conversation with her tits for like five minutes now and he's blatant about it."

Regina chuckled. "Don't mind the honorable Midas. He's strictly a look, but don't touch, old lecher. Is his daughter here as well?"

"Your friend Kathryn?"

"Yes."

"That's his daughter? Geez, that makes this even creepier because she's sitting right here, watching him talk to Ruby's tits like it's something she sees all the time."

Regina chuckled once more. "I'm sure she saw it her whole life, so it's normal to her. I'll be down in a moment." She would have to do something about Emma's mouth. There were some words that she would have to lose from her vocabulary entirely and "tits" was at the top of the list.

-8-8-8-8-

Emma paced the living room. Kathryn had come with her husband Frederick, who had moved the sofa with the help of Magistrate Midas to give them more room and Emma used the space to pace. She turned to Ruby, ignoring the flash from Frederick's camera. Apparently, he decided he would be the photographer. She would let it slide since it would be nice to have pictures of this moment.

"You don't think this is too much?" Emma asked, motioning down to her outfit. She wore a black suit and tie with a white shirt. It seemed plain, especially when she half-expected Regina to walk downstairs in a full wedding gown.

Ruby laughed. "Oh, please. When Regina sees you actually put on a suit, she won't care. I think you'd have better luck with a dress, though." It would have been a lot harder to find a dress, unfortunately.

"Nah, I already told her I was the butch one, so now I have to live up to it," Emma remarked with a laugh. Everyone else laughed, too.

"While I wouldn't deny your butchness, I think Regina is the butch out of the two of you. She's the one that has the town populous shaking in their collective boots," Kathryn joked. She was dressed for the occasion, as much as a last minute call could allow, wearing a dark blue evening gown with shoulder straps that crisscrossed around her back. Her husband had on a tux, which Emma suspected was in his closet for all sorts of emergency noble gatherings.

"Besides, isn't Regina like the boss of you?" Ruby teased. She had on a red and black, knee-length dress. It was not as classy as Kathryn's outfit, but clearly not one of the dresses Ruby wore when out clubbing.

Scoffing, Emma rolled her eyes. "I clearly wear the pants around here." Her stomach quivered a bit. She hoped Regina did not think she looked ridiculous. She felt a little ridiculous. She would rather wear a dress than a suit, but she actually was not sure of the protocol for same-sex unions. I_s there a protocol for this? For wedding in general?_ She had no idea. Added to that, it was much easier to find a suit that fit than a dress.

"Keep telling yourself that, champ," Ruby said. "So, getting married at ten on a Thursday night. What's up with that?"

While Emma did not tell Ruby everything in her life… okay, really did not tell her anything personal, she trusted Ruby with this. She knew Ruby would keep it under wraps if necessary, but she was not sure if it was necessary. But, she wanted to share this moment with Ruby, her best friend. Ruby could only be her best friend to rush out in an evening dress in the middle of the night with barely an explanation thrown her way.

Emma shook her head. "Long story." She turned to Midas. "This is going to be completely legal, right?"

He nodded. "Yes. As legal as a wedding performed on a clear Saturday afternoon."

A sigh of relief escaped her. "Okay, good."

Before she could get out any more questions or worry about how legal the wedding really was, Henry came in. He was so cute! He had on a suit with a vest and a scarlet tie. He rubbed his eye, probably still sleepy from being woken up two hours after falling asleep. Once he was done with his eye, he gasped.

"Mom, Emma's here!" Henry called, not realizing what was going on apparently. He rushed Emma and wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her tightly.

Emma smiled and hugged him back. Over him, she watched the doorway and saw Regina enter. Her breath caught in her throat. While it was no wedding dress, the dress Regina managed to find was perfect. Regina was perfect.

"Hey, Henry, I've got a thing I need to do and I need your help, okay?" Emma asked.

Henry nodded. "Anything."

"So, I'm going to marry your mom. Are you okay with that?"

His little brow wrinkled. "Marry? You mean like live with us and be a family?"

"Exactly like that."

The smile that lit up Henry's face put the sun to shame. "I'd like that. I wanna help!"

"Then I need you to hold these rings." She pulled out two jewelry boxes. One was black and one was white. "Now, these are very important. When I tell you to, you give your mom this box." She held up the white one.

"Okay." He took charge of that one.

"And when I tell you, you have to give me this box." She handed him the black box.

"Okay!" He gave a serious nod.

Emma then moved Henry to stand next to her. Everyone else got into place, standing just a couple of feet away from them. Regina stood opposite of Emma and Emma could hardly believe this was happening. She did not even hear what Magistrate Midas said, but he did not talk for long. They got to the vows sooner than Emma expected and her throat went dry. She wished Regina would just go with the generic vows.

"I'll go first," Regina offered with a soft smile.

Emma's shoulders slumped as a relieved sigh escaped her. "Henry, give her the box."

Henry nodded and handed over the white box. Regina opened it and took out the ring. She smiled when she saw it, but she looked more amused than pleased. Emma felt like she did well for someone who had an hour to find rings, among other things. It was thin platinum band with rubies going around it.

"I figured I should get something I couldn't snag," Emma explained since her ring was practically a men's ring, just smaller than usual. She had decided on rubies because red was Regina's color and someone told her once rubies represent nobility and she recognized that in Regina.

"It suits you," Regina commented. "Emma Swan, with this ring, a representation of our endless love and connection, I thee wed. I take you in sickness and health, of course, but more I take you through accidents and not-really accidents. I will always be there for you, through it all. A true partner in every sense of the word, here to share the good and the bad. I will hold you up when you need it and hold you close when you need that more. I will tell you the truth when necessary and boost you up, support you in all you need to endure. More than anything else, I will hold you in my heart forever and always because I love you. It is a pure, sweet peace, but also passionate burn. I accept both. I accept you and I will always love you."

Emma swallowed hard as Regina slid the ring on her finger. It was hard to breathe. _How do you breathe? _Maybe breathing did not matter. Regina loved her. Regina loved her and that should be enough, right?

"Emma, breathe," Regina implored her in a whisper.

"Huh?" There were words, but she did not know what they meant. Did they need to mean anything beyond "I love you"?

"Breathe."

"Breathe? Why? You love me!" Emma grinned.

"Emma, you will need to say some vows for us to continue," Midas reminded her.

"Oh, right!" Emma turned to Henry, who was already holding her box.

She gave him a smile as she took the container and opened it. He smiled up at her and nodded, as if giving her permission. She nodded back. Taking a deep breath, she focused completely on Regina's face, taking in how perfect Regina looked. Her heart filled with emotion just looking at Regina.

"I'm not good with words, Regina, you know that. But, I promise, there will never be a place I'd rather be than here with you and Henry. For my entire life, I never felt like I had a home, but you and Henry, you're home. This is where I belong and you and Henry made that happen. I promise to be here for you when you need me, and when you don't. I will do my best to be everything you need me to do. I will stand by you, even if it's just us against the world. This is everything I need, everything I want." She had to wipe her hand on her pants because her palms were sweating and then she eased the ring onto Regina's finger, noting Regina had taken off her engagement ring.

Regina's ring had a platinum band with a ruby heart in the center; Emma would later tell her because "Regina captured her heart" and Regina would roll her eyes. There was another heart on the ring, opposite the ruby heart, a platinum outline with small diamonds in it. It lay halfway over the ruby heart. They were two hearts linked together, like the ring. Emma felt it was perfect the moment she saw it and the jeweler had practically threw it at her to get her out of his shop, so he could go back to watching television.

They pressed their palms together. Regina arched an eyebrow, obviously feeling how clammy Emma's palm was. Emma shrugged an apology. Midas wrapped a red ribbon around their hands.

"Through the Legislate, Crown, and Fates, I link the two of you in holy matrimony," Midas declared.

"Is this the kissing part?" Emma asked.

Midas laughed. "Yes, this is the kissing part. You may kiss."

Emma grinned and leaned over to lay one on Regina. It was a simple press of their lips and a little movement, but not much. Henry made a gagging noise, which made the audience laugh. Regina pulled away and laughed. Emma mussed Henry's head.

"Hey, you don't get to make that noise," Emma told him.

Henry giggled, even as they leaned down and kissed him. The ribbon was unwrapped and Emma and Regina were now spouses. Emma was about to bounce on her heels, but there were signatures needed and other legal matters to take care of. Plus, Regina had to put Henry back to bed. Before Emma even realized it, they were hustling their guests out with Kathryn trying very hard to congratulate Regina, who was not listening.

"What, no reception?" Ruby joked as she crossed the threshold to the outside. The door closing was her answer.

-8-8-8-8-

"Henry, are you all right with what just happened?" Regina asked as she tucked the boy back into bed. She might let him stay home from school tomorrow if he proved too keyed up to go back to sleep or woke up disoriented in the morning.

Henry grinned, wiggling around. "Yeah, now we can be a family. I got two parents again. Daddy won't mind, right?"

Regina leaned down and kissed his forehead. "I think Daddy would be happy for us." She was always happy to know Henry remembered Daniel, even though he had barely been four when Daniel was taken from them.

"Then good. I like Emma."

"I do, too."

He smiled. "It's good she makes you happy. She makes me happy, too."

"Then, we'll be a happy family."

Henry snuggled under his blanket. She had to read him another bedtime story before he was settled. She kissed him again, but he was asleep by then. Turning out his light, she exited the room and turned her attention to her bedroom. No, _their_ bedroom. Hers and Emma's.

"By the Fates, we have so much to talk about," Regina sighed. But, that could wait. For now, she was married. Her heart thumped and she felt light. Daniel would be happy for her. "He would," she insisted. Her stomach flipped a bit, which made her wonder if she believed that.

Well, now was not the time to wonder if her incredibly rushed and possibly fatal marriage was a mistake and she was not ready. Instead, she needed to get ready for the wedding night. Because of the day, the thought of performing "wifely duties" was tiring, but they were of noble blood and this was a necessity.

Settling against the pillows, she wished she had a different bed spread for the night, but ah well. Just as she propped herself across the pillows, the door opened. Emma shuffled in, covering her mouth, which was open wide in a yawn.

"I am so tired," Emma muttered. It was a draining day for her as well.

"Too tired to make love to your wife?" Regina purred.

Green eyes went wide. "Well, hot damn." And then, she yawned again. "Shit, maybe I am." Regina could not fault her for that, but they needed to get this out of the way.

"Really? Because we have to physically consummate the marriage for it to be official and to avoid being forced to nullify it because of lack of physical consummation. Not to mention, I'm wearing this." Regina ran a finger down her chest, which was covered in a very skimpy red silk teddy. "And, I have to admit, you in a suit holds some appeal." Actually, she already planned to make Emma wear the suit again, on a night she could truly appreciate it, and show her appreciation.

"You know what, one dream already came true today. I might as well die in bed with you, too." Emma grinned. "Being married is awesome." She wasted no time popping the buttons open on her shirt and diving into bed.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: the couple discuss the move they just made.


	6. Morning After

I don't own these characters.

6: Morning After

Regina woke up before Emma, which was not a surprise. Regina was used to getting things ready for work and also for Henry while Emma had no such schedule. But, Regina did not want to get up just yet. Sleeping next to Emma in their now marital bed was quite amazing. While intellectually she knew nothing was different about the bed, it felt more comfortable, more secure, softer even. Just like the day seemed to hold more promise than yesterday, even though it was infinitely more dangerous. She turned her wedding ring, tracing both hearts, and then felt for the ring around her neck. Daniel's ring.

Daniel would be happy for her. She had this amazing human being who loved her enough to practically commit treason for her to save her from a life of misery. Not to mention an incredibly complicated explanation to Henry, who would have undoubtedly needed tons of therapy if she had married King Leopold. Henry would have eventually had questions about that and about the King, after all. Daniel would want her to be happy and would want what was best for Henry. Emma was that person.

Of course, it would not be all happiness. She knew that just because life was never all happiness. They had a lot to work out and talk about thanks to this impulsive marriage. No matter what, though, she was ruined for the King by Emma's logic. This would anger her mother to no end, so she needed to plan for that.

But, there were simple things they would need to discuss as well. Emma was a nomad before. She needed to settle now and Regina was not sure if that occurred to the younger woman. Of course, she did not expect Emma to plan ahead. She would take care of things, starting with breakfast.

Emma groaned as Regina moved and the blond pulled her closer. "Where going?" Emma mumbled, throwing her leg over Regina in an attempt to keep her in place.

"Breakfast," Regina answered.

"Just call room service."

"Room service?" Regina laughed a little bit. Emma thought they were in a hotel. _Does she even remember we got married last night?_ She hoped like hell Emma was not drunk or high last night and she failed to notice. "Emma, we aren't in a hotel."

Another groan escaped Emma as she tried to pull Regina back to her. "Huh?"

"This is not a hotel room."

Yawning, Emma opened one eye. "What do you mean?" She rubbed her eyes and then moved her hand away. She stared at her ring. "We got married last night," she whispered.

Regina swallowed. "Do you… regret it?"

"What?" Emma sat up, pulling Regina with her. "No!"

Emma held her close, stroking her bare thigh. For a moment, nothing happened. They merely looked at each other and that was enough. Emma had a hand on Regina's back and she could feel Emma's thumb rubbing circles on her spine.

"Regina, why in the hell would I regret it? Even though it was completely out of the blue and a ploy, I really want this. I want you. I meant it when I said I love you. I _do_ love you," Emma insisted.

Regina smiled. Those words filled her with such light and joy. "I love you, too. We are going to have to talk about this, though."

"Yeah, I know." Emma let loose a long yawn. It was probably much too early to have a serious conversation with her.

"But, I have to make breakfast first. Do you have a preference? I usually make Henry hot cereal and fruit. Sometimes, there might be toast," Regina explained. While Emma spent a lot of time at the house, she did not usually make it around for breakfast.

"If there's coffee, I'm fine."

"Of course." _Well, her diet will improve with her living here now_.

Regina was about to wiggle away, but Emma pulled her in for a kiss first. Caught by surprise, Regina pressed a hand to Emma's cheek as she kissed back. As they pulled away, Regina kept her hand to Emma's cheek and Emma smiled and then laughed.

"What's so funny?" Regina inquired.

"Do I regret it? Are you kidding me?" Emma laughed even more. "Do I regret it?" She gave Regina a look and just shook her head. "Do I regret it?"

Regina waved that all off. "All right, all right. It was a silly question. Understood."

"I guess I'll take a shower." Emma looked around. "I didn't bring my bag in. I have clothes here, though, right?" She did not usually spend the night, but she stayed over and had comfy, stay-at-home days with Regina and Henry, so she had some clothes.

"All clean and in your drawer. I'll clear out more space for you in the dresser and the closet today." She had been meaning to donate some clothing anyway. Now, she would just have to do it ahead of schedule.

"Oh, right. I'd live here now, huh?" Emma looked a bit surprised and lost by this. Her eyes stared off at the wall while her eyebrows bent in just a little.

Regina caressed Emma's cheek with her thumb. "Do you not want to live here?"

Wild golden hair swayed as Emma shook her head. "No, it's just I didn't think about this. I was so frantic last night to not lose you that I didn't think beyond us getting married."

Regina smiled. "I figured as much. I'll go to work late. We can spend this morning talking about at least the big changes in our lives. The weekend we can spend trying to map out smaller things."

Nodding, Emma grinned. "What about a honeymoon? That's a big thing, right?"

"We'll get to it. I think we're going to have some other big things to handle first, though."

Emma's face sobered, as if she realized everything they would probably have to go through. They had just made fools of two powerful people, after all. Regina gave Emma one more kiss, hoping to fortify her. They would need to be strong together.

-8-8-8-8-

Emma made her way downstairs, the smell of coffee beckoning her. She had found some yoga pants and a tank top, but she would definitely need to move more of her things into the house. Regina was in the kitchen, wearing a robe that was much longer than the one Emma was used to seeing her in. Emma pulled up a tall chair at the counter and Regina passed her a cup of coffee.

"Do you make breakfast every morning?" Emma asked, leaning an elbow on the counter. She tended to sleep through the morning, even in Storybrooke, and she usually stayed at the Bed and Breakfast because they did not want any rumors about them to start.

"Yes, I do." Regina went on to stir a pot.

Yawning, Emma covered her mouth. "So, Henry never has, like, a bowl of Trix or something?" The only time she had cooked breakfast was when she paid for it. She had grown up on cereal, and it was not just for breakfast.

"Well, sometimes on weekends, I'll let him indulge, but I much prefer to cook for him. It's better."

Emma nodded and took a sip of her coffee. "My ma never cooked for me. But, then again, she also lost me to Child Services about three times."

"What?" Regina gasped.

"Yeah… she was not the best mom." Still, thinking about her made Emma smile a little. Maybe it was because she was really the only person Emma had for a long time. Not the best, but someone was better than no one.

"Will you… will you tell me more about her?" Regina tried to sound casual, like it was nothing. Except, it was _huge_. They did not generally talk about themselves, at least not stuff they did not do together. They talked about Henry, Storybrooke, books and movies they liked, even hotels they visited, but nothing deep or in the past.

"As long as you tell me more about yourself, too," Emma decided. They were married. They should probably know things about each other.

Regina nodded. Emma was not sure if she believed Regina would share, but she would see. They did not get to talk more as Henry wandered in, rubbing his eye, still in his pajamas, which were designed to look like a knight's armor. As soon as he noticed them, a huge smile spread across his face.

"You guys got married last night, right? I didn't just dream it, yeah?" he asked.

"No dream, kid. I married your mom last night," Emma confirmed, sitting up just a little taller. _I actually married Regina last night. We consummated it and everything_.

"That's great." Henry grinned more and then suddenly his smile faded. He scratched his forehead as he focused on Emma. "So, what do I call you now?"

Emma's brow furrowed. "Call me?"

"Yeah, you and Mom are married now, so you're officially in the family and my mom now, too. I mean, married means yours really together or… something… and we're all together… I think…" It was cute the way his face scrunched up as his seven-year-old mind tried to make sense off all of this.

Smiling, Emma nodded. "Yes, we're married and together and all of us are a family and all of that."

"Okay, so when you get married, it means I'm your kid now, too, because we're all a real family. My classmate, Nicholas, his dad married somebody and then that meant they were all a family and Nicholas had a new mom. So, you're my new mom, right?" he reasoned.

Emma's forehead wrinkled yet again, trying to follow. "Yeah, I guess." _Wouldn't I be his old mom? But, then again, he knew I was his mom kinda already. I mean, I spilled the beans to him that I had him and Regina adopted him_.

"But, I can't call you 'Mom' because that's for Mom. I don't want you to get confused," Henry explained. Emma and Regina exchanged a smile.

"She _is_ easily confused," Regina encouraged him.

"And, I can't call you 'Mommy' because that's for girls." He frowned, causing his nose to wrinkle. "So, what do I call you?"

"Uh… you can call me 'Emma,' I guess," she answered with a shrug. It did not seem like a big deal to her.

Henry shook his head emphatically. "No, I can't just call you 'Emma'." He huffed and stomped his foot.

"What do you mean? It's not like I wasn't your birth mother yesterday and you still called me Emma."

Henry palmed his face for a second and Emma could seriously imagine him calling her "idiot" in his head. He looked at her with narrowed eyes and she felt like she needed to take this more seriously or he would make her regret it. She glanced at Regina, who just watched with an amused smirk on her face. Emma would have to get out of this on her own.

"Yeah, but now you're married to Mom and you're gonna live here, so we're a real family and I can't call you by your name because you're my mother now, like really my mother," he pressed, almost frantically. His eyes were wide and wet with tears.

The words "like really my mother" hurt a bit. Apparently, Henry did not think of her as "his mother" when she barged into his life and let him know she had given birth to him. But, then again, it made sense. She had not been very motherly to him at the time and when she finally got her act together, she dropped the subject. She had not brought up the fact that she had given birth to him for longer than she had been seeing Regina. He probably put it out of his mind.

"All right, all right, all right." She held her hands up in surrender. "It's okay. What if you call me Ma?" It was what she called her mother. She hoped he just never said it the way she used to.

He scrunched his mouth up. "Ma?" He made a face, like it was not the right fit. "Maybe Mama. I'll try that out for a while and see how it works. Then, maybe Ma if I need to."

Emma could not help chuckling. While she had given birth to him, so much of his personality was Regina. "So, has the crisis passed?"

"Yup!" He grinned and then sat down at the table.

Regina carried out two bowls of oatmeal, sitting one in front of Henry. The other she sat at the head of the table, her seat. She then went back into the kitchen. Emma expected her to get juice, but instead she got one more bowl. This was carried to the table and placed at the empty seat left of the head.

"Go eat," Regina told Emma as she walked by again, now retrieving juice glasses.

Eat? Regina made her oatmeal, too? Well, she did not usually eat oatmeal, but Emma was also not very picky. So, she sat with Henry and Regina joined them with apple juice for all. Regina also brought in small bowls of diced fruit, which Henry dumped into his oatmeal. Emma certainly never had it like that.

"So, you mix it?" Emma asked as Henry stirred everything together.

"I like to mix it. Mom eats the fruit separate. How do you eat it, Mama?" Henry asked and then he grinned. Apparently, the title "Mama" tasted good to his mouth.

"I usually just have it plain, but I think I'll try it your way," Emma decided. She put half of her fruit in the bowl. Tasting it, her eyes lit up and she smiled. "It is good."

Oatmeal never tasted _this_ good before. Henry and Regina smiled at her, both declaring her silly with their eyes. But, it was a loving silly.

-8-8-8-8-

Both Regina and Emma saw Henry off to school. He rode the bus, a request he made when he started second grade. He thought as a "big boy," he should be able to take the bus and go on his own. Regina was not sure how much she liked it, but she agreed to try it for the year and let him decide if he wanted to continue with it. She missed riding him to and from school, like she did in kindergarten and the first grade. She could only imagine what she would do ten years from now when he was off to college.

"You do this every morning?" Emma asked, wrapping her arms around Regina's waist. Regina allowed Emma to lead her into the living room and they sat on the couch.

"Yes. I usually leave right after him," Regina answered. She was not even dressed now, though. She wanted to make it into office by noon, if possible. There would be a lot to do later, so she wanted to work while she had the chance.

Emma nodded. "Okay. It's cute." She pulled Regina close to her. "So, what do we need to talk about?"

Leaning against Emma, Regina busied her hands by making circles on Emma's abdomen with her index finger. "Obvious things, like you moving into the house. You continue to seem surprised by this. Did you want to live somewhere else?"

Rolling her eyes, Emma regarded Regina as if she was the crazy one here. "No. No, you know I don't really have any place to live. I just didn't think I'd be living here. It's… I dunno. It's huge and overwhelming and just… _whoa_. I feel out of place now that I live here."

Regina frowned a bit. "So, it was fine when you were just visiting?" While it was not a conscious thought, she had hopes of Emma thinking of this place as home for a while now.

"I never really thought that I'd be living here. I think of this place as 'home,' but it just never occurred to me I'd live here. Home for me used to be an idea, but now it includes this physical place. This place seems way too classy for me."

This puzzled Regina, even though it was good to know Emma thought of this house as home. "Says the woman who lives in the White Palace."

"I don't live there, though. I never lived there. I had never even _seen_ the White Palace in person until Leopold came to take me there and drop the house on me that he's my father. But, I don't mind living here. I want to be with you and Henry. You're my home, so this is my home," Emma admitted with a soft smile. "I'll move my stuff in from the car as soon as we're done."

"Of course, everything you own is in your car." This was a strange bit of Emma that Regina never fully understood. She knew Emma liked to be able to get away from some place as soon as possible, but there was also this allergic reaction to setting down roots some place, which was another reason why it was so bizarre for Emma to propose to her.

Emma's face tensed with a frown, detecting the little bite in Regina's tone that she did not even mean to put there. "Hey, it makes life easier. Besides, it's not like I was moving into the White Palace to hang out with the royals and nobility and crap like I was suddenly one of them."

Instead of apologizing, Regina merely stroked Emma stomach with all of her fingers. "That's understandable."

Emma seemed to very much resent being a blue blood. Regina did not completely understand beyond the fact that Emma was angry with her father. Regina knew all about being angry with a parent.

"We need to tell our families," Regina sighed. _Mother is going to pop a vessel… if I'm lucky anyway_. The more realistic reaction was that her mother would pop Emma and possibly her as well.

Emma's frown was a full-fledge scowl of near disgust. "Why?"

Regina folded a leg over Emma's lap with the hope of keeping her relaxed. "Well, because they're going to find out. In fact, they'll probably find out in about an hour's time once all of the paperwork is properly filed. I suspect my mother will summon me shortly."

Regina swallowed hard as her stomach flipped. She wondered what Emma saw on her face because the blond grabbed her hand. A few simple strokes of Emma's thumb and her stomach settled. _How does she have this magic? How can she calm me like this? _For her, this was further proof that Daniel would be happy for her, to have found someone who connected with her so deeply, to have someone who would settle her when fear was about to take hold.

"Don't worry. I'll be right there with you," Emma promised, completely ruining the soothing sensation she had caused.

Regina's eyes went wide as terror crushed her insides. "No!" She yanked her hand away.

The frown was back and golden eyebrows bent in sharply. "What? Why not?"

"Emma, I don't even want my mother to know what you look like and I don't want to chance you standing before her. You don't know my mother. She's…" Regina's throat seized, words unable to escape her lips. She shivered involuntarily.

"Regina, what the hell? It's not like she could strike me dead right there and she wouldn't dare anyway. I'm, you know, a princess and shit," Emma argued, waving the whole matter off.

Shaking her head, Regina's eyes fell to the floor. "She might." Her mother could do things, had done things. There was no telling what she would do once she found out Regina ruined her perfect plan, ruined the only reason Regina was born, as far as her mother was concerned.

Emma chuckled and pulled Regina to her. "Come on, be serious."

"I am," Regina whispered gravely.

Now, Emma swallowed hard, so much so that Regina could see her entire throat move. "Tell me about her."

"Tell you?" Regina did not even want to think about her mother and Emma expected her to speak about the woman? The very idea should not cause her heart to race, but she feared the small organ might just give out.

Nodding, Emma went back to caressing Regina's hand. "Yeah, tell me. I told you about my mother. She was neglectful, forgetful, and sometimes a raging alcoholic. She lost me a bunch of times. I've been in foster homes. Some nice, some not so much. I've run away even more times than that. Sometimes, she didn't even know I was gone. Other times, she'd freak out and look for me or try to get me back. She was a weepy drunk, liked to apologize all the time, but never fix anything. What was your mother like? Did you run away?"

It was hard to breath as Regina thought about her life with Cora. She never thought of it as hard or terrible, but she had tried to run away. Run away from the judgment, the terror, and the expectations. She never made it far. And, no matter what, whenever she thought about her mother, breathing was difficult, her mouth went dry, and she could hardly focus. Sometimes, the world went fuzzy at the edges and she was certain she would faint, all from the sheer thought of _Cora_.

"My mother…" Regina licked her lips and tried so hard to breathe normally. "My mother was the disciplinary of the family. She made sure my sister and I followed the rules, but more than that she made sure I understood what was expected of a Lady, of a princess, of a girl who should be queen."

Emma pulled her close and wrapped her arms around Regina, holding her together. It was not until she was pressed against Emma did Regina realize she was shaking. Emma kissed the top of her head and seemed to literally hold her together.

"What did she do?" Emma asked in a whisper, brushing Regina's hair behind her ear.

Regina had to take a breath. She had never spoken of this, _ever_. No one knew what she went through unless they saw it with their own eyes, and most of those people only saw snippets.

"She restrained me when I failed to comply with her wishes," Regina answered in a low voice.

"Restrained you how?" Emma inquired gently, like she knew there was so much more to it than what Regina could even say.

"With magic." She could feel the rest bubbling up in her throat, wanting – _needing_ – to spill out. If there was ever a person to tell, it was Emma. Emma needed to know, to understand just what they were up against.

Emma tensed for a moment and then calmed herself while caressing Regina's back. "But, magic is illegal unless government supervised or licensed. Is your mother licensed?"

Regina shook her head. "No. But, she has magic, Emma, and she's not afraid to use it, no matter how illegal it is. And, she's never been caught. She would restrain me and it was like being wrapped in invisible chains, like barbed wire crushing me. Sometimes, it hurt to breath and I was so scared she'd just leave me like that until I died. No one would find a mark on me and her magic is good enough to not leave a signature, not a trace. I'd be dead and no one would know she did it. Just like if you meet her, you'll be dead." No one had ever figured out how Daniel had died, after all. It was probably just a soft flick of her mother's wrist and his neck had probably snapped like a twig with no one around.

"I wouldn't let her kill me. I'm too annoying to go down easily," Emma remarked and added a little more pressure rubbing Regina's back, like she knew this would keep Regina from getting hysterical. "So, your mother restrained you when you weren't good. What did she do when you were good?"

Regina did not understand the question. "When I was good?"

"Yeah. Sometimes, my mother, if she was in a good mood and I did well on a test or something, she'd take me to dinner. We always went to a nice place where we had to buy new clothes and dress fancy. I always wondered how we had the money for it."

"The King." It was not a question. Leopold had probably paid Emma's mother quite a bit of hush money.

"Yeah. I wonder if the bastard knows his money helped put her in an early grave. She drank herself to death."

Somehow Regina doubted he thought of that. And even if he did, she doubted he cared. Emma's mother being dead was better than paying her off because, well, dead meant she could never say anything about their affair, or whatever it was. Now, he just needed to work on keeping Emma under control, which she knew from personal experience was sometimes akin to holding and controlling a wild, venomous snake.

Regina took a breath, needing to steady herself. _Emma is here for me, so_ _Emma deserves to know what she's gotten into_. They needed to share, get to know each other. So, she told Emma something she had never even had the courage to say aloud.

"I believe my mother helped put my father into an early grave as well."

Emma's brow furrowed. "How so?"

"She broke my father. He was a shell of a man by the time I was a teenager. Her presence alone seemed to demean and belittle him. She just had a way of looking at him and the look said it all, like she was disgusted by him and disappointed for some reason. She said snide things to him in front of the servants, so I can only imagine what she saved for when they were alone. He had a heart attack and was dead before he hit the ground, like he just could not go on with her anymore."

"Your mother rules with an iron fist, huh? How does she treat your sister?"

Regina shook her head. "For all of the attention lavished upon me, Zelena gets none. She's older, but she's also illegitimate. My mother had her before meeting my father."

"And your father, a royal prince, married her anyway?"

"There's a story there that I don't know for sure. There are whispers my mother made some deal with the Dark One and my grandfather, the King of Castia. Some even think her deal is the reason Castia lost the war and ended up a very unhappy conquered commonwealth of this nation."

Emma sighed. "Aren't we a pair? A deposed princess and the King's bastard."

Regina curled into Emma, nuzzling her neck. "The perfect pair."

"I'll go with that. Since you're going to tell your mother alone, which I am totally against just so you know, I'll tell Leopold and Snow alone. Leopold might control himself, but Snow doesn't really think when she speaks, especially when she's upset. I don't want her to say anything to you," Emma said.

Regina chuckled and hated that even something like that made her heart flutter. Her entire life, she felt like she did not need protecting and then Emma came along, wanting to protect her. Whenever she thought she should feel insulted by it, by this idea that she was somehow weak, she just felt flattered and cared about.

"Do you really think I care about what Snow says?" Regina asked evenly.

A half-smile tugged at Emma's lips. "I suppose not, but I can handle it. Besides, it's more about me not wanting to punch her in the mouth when she does say something. I mean, despite her being a bit of a brat, she's trying really hard to be my sister and I'd like to try with her. It's not like it's her fault we didn't grow up together or anything like that. I mean, maybe I'll never feel like we're sisters, but we could be friends."

Regina nodded. "I once felt like that about Zelena."

"Did it happen?"

"Zelena and Snow are not the same person." Zelena never wanted her friendship. Zelena wanted the same thing she wanted, the same thing they both would never have. Of course, the difference between them was that Regina once had a chance.

Emma nodded and caressed Regina's back more. A silence hung over them for a long moment. Part of it felt looming, but the dread faded with each quiet second until it was all but gone. Then, there was just silent affection between them, nuzzling and light touches. There was so much more to discuss, but Regina did not want to spoil this peaceful time. They could talk more tonight.

"I'm going to have to change jobs, right?" Emma inquired.

Regina's brow furrowed and she studied Emma for a moment. "Why should you have to?"

"To be home every day. I mean, I don't know a lot about this stuff, Regina, just things I've seen on TV. From what I can tell, me leaving every few days to catch some runaway idiot isn't going to work."

"Well, before you make any rash career decisions see if it does work. You shouldn't rearrange your life so dramatically so quickly. You'll resent this move if you do and then you'll be unhappy," Regina explained. She did not want Emma to become overwhelmed. It already had to be too much for the blond to have a place to live now.

"Yeah, but I want to do this right, right for you and for Henry."

"And for you," Regina added. "It won't be right for us if it's not right for you."

Emma smiled. "You're really thinking about me, huh?"

"Well, you are my wife."

And Emma's smile grew. "Yeah, and you're _my_ wife, who I didn't even get to take on a honeymoon."

"We'll worry about that later. But, you need to know that all families are different and that what's on television is not necessarily the norm. Yes, it looks cute and amusing, but it is television and by definition not real," Regina explained.

"I know, I know, but sometimes, you and Henry… you just seem like you belong in one of those old TV shows." Emma did not elaborate on that and Regina did not entirely understand.

"Is there anything you'd like to discuss?" Regina asked.

"Hmm… do you take my last name or do I take yours? I mean, usually you take the person's name with the higher status, right?"

"That is correct."

"Well, I'm a bastard, so do I become a Mills?" Emma looked truly puzzled by this.

Regina frowned as she thought about it. "Okay, first, I want you to stop describing yourself as a bastard. Your birth status does not affect who you are. Emma, while nobles are quite old fashion in many ways, there is no reason for either of us to change our names. Did you change your name when you found out your father was the King?"

"Well… no."

"If you didn't change your name to reflect that new status, then you never have to change your name. You don't have to change your name just because we're married. For right now, let's handle moving you in and telling our families. If you need to, we'll fill out change of address cards for you, all right?" Regina offered.

Emma nodded. "Thanks." She rubbed the back of Regina's neck. "I jumped into this one, huh?" A small, amused smile played on her lips.

"Do you regret it?" Regina repeated.

"No. Never." Emma pressed her close. "I meant it last night when I said I loved you, when I made those vows, and when I put that ring on your finger. I just didn't think all of this would go into it. I didn't think past us getting married."

Regina smiled. "I know you didn't think past us getting married, but it was a good start. It was further than I thought until you barged in. I think as long as we remain true to ourselves, then we'll be able to handle this. We'll take it one step at a time. Besides, haven't you desired to raise Henry with me since you pulled him from that mine?"

Emma grinned. "Since before that, actually. You have no gods-be-damned idea how much I loved arguing with you. You're sexy as hell when you're all fired up."

"Not to mention when you've been drinking a little," Regina teased.

"Trust me, no beer goggles necessary for you. Just watching you strut away after you got in my face made your harsh words worth it."

Regina laughed. "I knew you were staring at my ass."

"It's a nice ass." Emma brightened as she rudely clutched the aforementioned body part. It did not surprise Regina, even though she squealed. It was just the sort of immature thing Emma would do. "And it's all mine!"

"Yes, dear, it is."

"Yeah, this was an awesome idea." Emma kissed the top of her head again. It made her feel at peace.

Regina cuddled close to Emma and rested her head on Emma's shoulder. "Yes, it was."

They had obstacles ahead of them for sure, but this still was the best idea Emma ever had and Regina was more than happy she had gone along with it. She would not let her mother or even the King take this from her, from her son. This was their family and they were both fighters. They would fight for it.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: families are told about the marriage.


	7. Knowing is Half the Battle

I don't own these characters.

7: Knowing is Half the Battle

Regina cleared out space in the closet as best she could, mostly by gathering items she intended to throw away anyway. She would have to find a way to reduce her wardrobe with Emma around, though. While Emma did not have much, it was possible she would get more now that she had a true home. There would never be the space Regina was used to, unless she had some work done on the house, which was a thought. She would save that idea for later, when she was not possibly going to be dead by the end of the day.

While Regina cleared the closet, Emma moved in. She did not have much, just a few outfits and a box of childhood memories. Regina made a mental note to spoil Emma with some gifts; again, provided she live through the day.

Regina was able to make it to work before noon. Her assistant smiled at her when she came in, which was a bit weird. She had to wonder if Tinker Bell, whose name came from the fact that she was distantly related to the now extinct fae, knew something she should not, like the mayor's wedding last night. If the little blond knew, then surely Cora knew by now. The very thought made Regina's heart speed up, even though she expected this.

She was barely at her desk when her cell phone chimed with a low funeral dirge. Her mother would probably plan her funeral if Cora knew that was her ring tone. Flopping down into her seat, Regina took a deep breath to settle her folding stomach and put the phone on speaker to answer it.

"Good morning, Mother," Regina said with the hope of sounding normal. She did not want to betray anything.

"I don't know what you think you're doing, but this rumor of you being married better be just a rumor or you better be married to the King right this second and sitting on that empty throne," Cora growled.

"Mother, I am a grown woman," Regina argued, knowing this would never stand. They had this argument when she dated Daniel and had hopes of marrying him. The argument ended with Daniel's death. She would be damned if the same happened to Emma.

"No! Regina, you are to be queen, not some peasant's whore. Now, you will have this marriage annulled immediately." Cora's tone was sharp and held no room for argument, but Regina pressed on.

"I can't do that, Mother," she replied evenly.

"You will do that, even if I have to drag you down to city hall myself," her mother hissed. Her mother did not raise her voice, _ever_, as it was not lady-like, but the angrier she got, the lower and more raspy it became. She already sounded like an evil snake and they had barely spoken a minute. She might just kill Regina through the phone. Could magic reach through a phone? She did not want to find out.

Regina had to take another deep breath and remind herself that she was in control. "I can't do that, Mother."

"Regina," it was a strain to hear her name. "You have until the end of the day to get this done. If it is not done, you will bring yourself to the Manor. I would like to be able to discuss this with you in person. I'm sure I can change your mind."

"No, Mother, I don't think you will." She would go to the Manor house, as there were only so many different ways she could challenge her mother without going into full shock on her own. So, she would go, so her mother could completely understand she would not budge on this issue.

Her mother hung up on her and Regina sighed. Her stomach rolled again, even though she knew she would have to see her mother in person. Taking a deep breath, she looked down at her wedding band, lightly tracing both hearts with her thumb. On short notice, Emma had done a very good job. Emma cared about her. Emma was worth fighting for.

"I won't back down," she promised herself, but her stomach rolled anyway.

-8-8-8-8-

Emma looked around Regina's bedroom – no, _their_ bedroom – and figured she would wait for Regina to figure out where to put her more personal items. Regina was the organizer between them, after all. But, all in all, she could not wait to put everything away. She bounced on her heels a bit, smiling as she took everything in. Even though her hands shook with nervous energy and her stomach sort of twisted against itself, she felt like this was the best decision she had ever made.

"I do love her and want to be married to her. This is the way things should be. So, I'll tell Leopold that shit to his face, screw him. Go back to banging strippers and whores," Emma said as she descended the stairs. It was time to get this ball rolling. The sooner they settled things, the sooner she could take Regina on a gods-be-damned honeymoon. The very thought made a smile play on her lips. _She's got to be the woman for me. The thought of her makes me smile_.

She went to the kitchen with the hope of getting coffee, but despite Regina showing her several times how to use the stupid coffee maker, she still felt like it had more buttons than a damned space rocket. So, she went to _Granny's_, wanting her caffeine and maybe some sugar for the road. On the way, she thought about how awesome it was that Regina made her breakfast and she got a chance to sit down to a normal meal with her family. The thought made her chuckle as she entered _Granny's_.

"Hey, hey, hey! If it's not my favorite…" Ruby shouted until she probably realized what she witnessed last night was meant to be a secret. Closing her mouth, she gave Emma a big grin and a wink.

"Give it a day and then you can tell the world," Emma replied with an encouraging smile. Honestly, she was surprised Ruby kept it to herself this long and she did not mean that because Ruby liked to gossip. Whenever Ruby was happy for her, Ruby liked to brag about it as if it happened to her. _Are all friends like this? _She doubted it, but she felt blessed to have Ruby.

Ruby squealed and then covered her mouth with both hands until she got herself under control. "Good. I want to shout it to the mountains. You know, we always suspected there was something there."

Emma scoffed as she moved to sit at the counter. "Really?" _But, me and Regina were careful. I never stayed the night at her place and she always had a business excuse when she left to see me at my hotels_.

"Oh, yeah. Come on, you guys were always in each other's space, before and after you saved Henry," Ruby whispered with a smirk.

"That's because she's like that. She wants to intimidate and for some reason the closer she is to you, the taller and scarier she seems."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "You keep telling yourself that, lover. She traveled to the capital a lot more since you arrived and you guys got chummy, too. We all thought that was weird."

_Okay, maybe we weren't fooling people like we thought_. "What do you mean? She's gone to the capital on official business."

"Oh, yeah, but not every couple of weeks. She used to hate those things, too. You knew when she needed to go to a conference or a summit or meeting or something like that because for an entire week she was making sure the town wouldn't fall apart in her absence. There'd be town meetings almost every day. Once, she had a contingency plan for if ogres somehow made a comeback and she wasn't here. She's good at her job, but she hates not being here and then you came along."

Emma scoffed to play it off. "Whatever, Ruby."

"What about the guy she's been engaged to for years, though?" Ruby asked.

Emma arched an eyebrow. "How did you know she was engaged?"

Ruby scoffed and rolled her eyes. "That rock on her hand. I didn't think she wore it as a fashion statement. Besides, if she did, she would've had more than one to match her outfits. She wasn't wearing it last night, so I think I can safely assume you didn't give it to her, especially since she wore it long before you came into the picture. What about that?"

Emma waved the question off. "We're settling all of that up today and tomorrow more than likely. Once it's all behind us, I'll tell you the whole gory story. For now, I need coffee and a bear claw. I gotta hit the road and hopefully be back here before Henry gets out of school."

Ruby nodded and moved to get those items. Emma left the money on the counter and then started her journey back to Misthaven. On her way, her phone rang several times, calls from Snow and Leopold. They must have found out about the marriage, which Emma thought was strange, but it did not surprise her.

"I can handle this. I'll do anything for Regina and Henry. They're mine," Emma reminded herself. _They're my family_. Way more than Leopold could ever be.

With that in mind, when Emma came to the White Palace, she felt justified and fortified. If the King and his Heir tried to make it seem like she had done the wrong thing, she would rip Leopold to shreds. Snow… well, she would strongly disagree with Snow at most. Typically, Snow's heart was in the right place, the execution just needed work. Emma understood how that could be. And, of course, she would run into Snow first.

"Emma, how could you!" Snow barked as she barreled down the large hall. Servants scurried out of the corridor, giving the pair privacy… or what they wanted to look like privacy anyway. Emma knew the palace had secret passages and hidden chambers where anyone could spy from. Surely the servants wanted to watch the verbal bloodbath.

"How could I what?" Emma decided to play dumb. She wanted to see how much did Snow know and how much Snow _thought_ she knew.

"You went behind Father's back and actually married his betrothed? Are you insane? He loves Regina!" Snow's face was red already from her fury.

"Ha!" Emma could hardly contain a sneer. "Do you really think that? Do you honest and truly believe your father _loves_ Regina?" Sometimes, she wished she grew up like Snow White, if only to have this "pie-in-the-sky" idealism where people were in love just because someone put a ring on it.

"Of course he does! How could you do this to him? He'll be devastated and heartbroken."

Emma shook her head. "He'll be devastated that he was outflanked, yeah, but I doubt much of his heart will be broken. I'm sure other body parts might not like this setup, though."

Snow frowned, but Emma could tell she did not get what Emma meant. Snow was too "pure of heart." Snow squinted, and brushed her short hair from her forehead. Emma waited, figuring if Snow did not say anything in the next couple of seconds, she would push by and have the real conversation of the day.

"Emma, I know you're angry with Father and you have a right to be," Snow said, reaching out, touching Emma's arm. Emma yanked it back.

"Seriously? _That's_ what you're going with?" Emma huffed. Did it not even occur to Snow that Emma and Regina could possibly be in love? This seriously just all boiled down to revenge for her?

"I know you're angry with him, but you have to understand, he hid you to protect you."

"By the Fates, how much bullshit can you actually buy? Do you just take his word for everything?" Not that this would surprise Emma. From her time with her father and sister, she knew Leopold indulged Snow's every whim. Snow really could have been a terror if she put her mind to it because the King would not deny his heir-apparent and completely royal child anything. So, why should Snow ever bother to stop and examine what Leopold said?

"Emma, it's not too late," Snow said, eyes pleading with her.

"I agree one hundred percent. You need to stop drinking the kool-aid and think your own thoughts for a while. Your father doesn't love Regina and he damn sure didn't 'hide' me to protect me. Get out of your little fucking bubble," Emma huffed and pushed past Snow. She did not want to have this conversation anymore or she might really hurt Snow's feelings and Snow was not the one she wanted.

"Emma!" Snow called, but she did not turn around. "Don't you dare walk away from me!" But, Emma kept walking.

Emma rushed through the palace with no place in mind to really go. She only found the King because every servant she passed nodded her in the right direction. _They probably want to see the headline match after that little scrap with Snow_. She had no doubt she would give them what they wanted.

The King was in his study, signing decrees and trying to hold off the Senate more than likely. Emma had no idea how politics worked, having never been very interested. She felt like politicians, no matter the party or the job, were all out to screw the little guy. The feeling had not changed much since she started seeing Regina. After all, she did not know and did not ask much about Regina's job.

She had heard good things about Leopold, but she stopped caring once he forced his way into her life. Supposedly, he passed good laws, wanting to help people. She did not feel very helped, though. She doubted Regina felt very helped either.

"Emma," he greeted her in that calm voice that grated on Emma's nerves. For once, she allowed herself to frown because of it. He smiled at her from his desk, which only made her more upset.

"Sire," she said.

He sighed, as if he was in such great pain. "Emma, you know you don't have to call me that."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but it's that or a bunch of other names I'm sure aren't the appropriate thing to call the King while he's in the room. Now, can you not act like this is a nice little social call?"

He nodded slowly and stood up. "Emma, I know you have a chip on your shoulder and you have every right to. Life has not been fair to you and I know you blame me."

"Don't give yourself that much credit, _Dad_. You don't hold any weight with me," she assured him. She had wanted to say that for a long time, but it never seemed like the right time. Now did, even though he had not come out swinging.

He stared at her for a moment and then pressed on in his fake voice. "Then why did you go out of your way to marry Regina?"

She scoffed. "I didn't 'go out of my way' to marry her. I didn't do this to hurt you."

"Didn't you?" he pressed, still speaking softly. "You have resented me since we met and now you do this."

"You told this same bullshit to Snow? I didn't marry Regina out of resentment toward you. Honestly, you can get fucked for all I care," Emma stated quite honestly. His eyes went wide for a moment, probably not expecting the language. No one spoke to him like that more than likely.

"Emma, what have I done to deserve such words? I've taken care of you since finding you," he said, voice catching a bit.

"No, no, no. Cut this shit. You haven't taken care of me since you found me. You knew I existed from the moment I fell out of my mother. Hell, maybe before that. You were paying my mother off to keep quiet, not to take care of us. Don't deny it. Don't play the 'oh, I'm a good man' card. I don't need that. I'm a little more realistic than your darling heir. I get that you can be a good king and take care of your country and still have a thing for strippers. Whatever." Emma threw up her hands. Honestly, every problem she had with the King was personal. She could not think of a reason to dislike him beyond that. She actually did not have an opinion of him until she met him. From what she could tell, yeah, he was a good king for the simple fact that the country was a pretty decent place to live.

"Oh, Emma, is that what you think of me and your mother?" He gave her these pathetic puppy eyes.

Emma growled and pointed at him. "You leave my mother out of this, you sleaze. Don't stand here and act like I'm the crazy one. You were the one who was going to force Regina to marry you."

"I didn't force her. She agreed," his voice was a little stronger now, louder. She had hit a nerve.

She glared at him harder, hoping to get to him even more. "No, her mother agreed. That's not the same thing and you know it."

"No, it is the same thing. You don't understand the customs of her country."

Emma scoffed. "Oh, you mean the country that doesn't exist anymore?"

"The Castian culture is alive and well. It's her parents right to accept for her, especially her mother. Besides, if she had any objection, she could have made it." He still sounded defensive.

Emma threw her hands up. "Are you fucking kidding me? Do you honestly believe Regina could've said no to you, even if she wanted to? You're the fucking King, for Fates' sake! More to the point, she watched you and your fucking father devour her whole country and drive her family into exile as a child. Do you honestly think this is a person who could tell you no?" _Is this whole family fucking delusional?_

"Regina was in favor of our union. She knows I love her."

Emma felt like she might pass out from all of the crap being tossed on her. "Are you freaking kidding me? You love her, like you loved my mother? Isn't that what you told me when we met? How much you loved my mother? How she was a beautiful woman with such a kind soul?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but Emma barreled on. She did not want to give him a chance to lie to her about how he felt about her mother.

"How stupid do you think I am? I know you don't love Regina. You were going to use her!" Emma pointed an accusing finger at him.

"Emma, are you sure this isn't about me and your mother?" His voice went back to that annoyingly gentle tone, practically patronizing her.

"At first, no, but now I think it's about everything. I think it's about how easily you throw around this love crap. Did you love Snow's mother, too? How many women can you possibly love at once?" She threw her hands up.

He frowned and glared at her. "Don't bring Snow's mother into this."

She smirked at him, mocking him in a way she knew a person should never do a king. "Ah, yes, Saint Eva. She's the one you really loved, right? You loved her, but you needed one more night of fun and that's where my mother came in? Or was it many nights of fun?"

His eyes flashed. Now, he was angry. Good. That made two of them. Maybe in his outrage, he would admit he was full of it. Maybe he did love Eva and maybe he felt something toward her mother, but he did not love Regina. Regina was a political move, a means to an end.

"You don't know what happened between me and your mother," he hissed.

That was true. She did not know. "And I don't want to know. I don't care about your history or her history. I care about Regina and her life, her future. I'm not going to let you make her life miserable because you think marrying her will appease the jerks in what used to be the country of Castia. Or let you marry her because you know Henry is my biological son and you want to tie up that loose end," she growled right back.

"You knew," he accused her.

"No, you knew!" she barked right back, glaring and pointing at him, wishing this was the old times when magic was everywhere. She would fucking smite him if she could. "You knew Henry was my kid and you sat there like you didn't know dick! What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"You should watch what you accuse me of, Emma."

She smirked at him. "Or else what? You'll have me exiled? Nah, you'd have to do something worse than that because I'd still be able to tell everyone why you did it. I'd still be able to tell people who I am. But, if you have me put in jail, solitary confinement, or even worse, then you have to tell Snow what happened. Are you prepared to lie to her? Oh, I know you've already lied to her a bunch of times, but are you ready to lie about something this big? You ready to tell her you executed her sister?"

He snorted out of his nose. "You don't even think of her as a sister."

"Oh, I've been trying really hard, but whose fault is it anyway? Is it my mother's fault that I didn't grow up with my precious sister, Snow White? Is it my fault?" She pointed to herself. "Is it Snow's fault?" She motioned to the door. "Whose fault is it, really? But, none of that even matters. You can get rid of me if that's what you want. Please, feel free. And then what? You marry Regina? Why? So, you can show the Castians you don't want to be their overlord? So, Henry's where you think he should be? So, you have two more ovaries on tap in case you need another kid? What?"

"You honestly think I would get rid of you?" He stepped closer, looking at her with big eyes. He clutched his chest as if he was so hurt.

Rolling her eyes, she scoffed. "Save your bullshit, please. You've been paying me off to keep me quiet since you met me and you were doing the same to my mom until the day she died. Losing me isn't going to crush you."

"Emma, you're my daughter and I love you."

"You throw those words around easily enough." Emma herself had only said the phrase to three people in her life and one of them damn sure did not deserve to hear them. The King and Snow passed the words around like a catchphrase, though. If she had not been pushed to the brink, she probably would not have told Regina she loved her, even though she had loved Regina for months now.

"Because they're true." He reached out to touch her, but she yanked her arm away.

She glared at him and scowled. "Just like you love Regina?"

"Emma, please."

"Look, you do what you want, but I love Regina and she loves me. Henry is our son. We're a family. You want to wreck a family?" she challenged him. He could not possibly be that much of an asshole, right? He had to believe some of the crap he spewed about families and values, right?

"Emma, you don't know what you're talking about or what you're doing."

Emma chuckled. No, she had no idea what she was doing, but that had never stopped her. She damn sure would not let him stop her.

"I do know what I'm doing. Like I said, I love Regina and Henry's our son. That's my family. What would you do if someone tried to mess with your family?" she demanded.

"You don't know Regina."

"No, you don't know Regina and you don't know Henry. You don't know their wants, their desires, their likes, and dislikes. You haven't bothered. You just think you know what they want because you're the King. I guess that works when you're working for the country, but it damn sure doesn't work with individual people."

"Emma." Again, he reached for her and she moved.

"You know what, if you can stand here and tell me Regina's favorite hobby, I'll get an annulment right now," she said. She had no doubt he had Regina investigated when he first got engaged to her and people obviously still reported to him about her, but she doubted something so mundane as to what Regina did in her spare time stood out to him.

He gave her a challenging look. "Emma, I don't have to prove anything to you."

"And I don't have to prove anything to you. I'm married to Regina. She's my wife and that's how it's going to stay," she stated.

"I am the King. I have the power to annul this marriage without the court."

Emma shrugged. "Go ahead. I bet that won't work out too well for you, though."

His eyes narrowed for a moment. "Are you threatening me?"

"No more than you're threatening me. What the hell do you care? It's not like we made a fool out of you. No one knew you were engaged to Regina. You didn't want them asking questions about why your engagement was so long. And, I know you hate that most of all," she said.

"Hate what?"

"Questions. You don't want anyone asking questions about your actions. I get it. Your personal life is your personal life, but if people find out about it, they link it to your public image and they start questioning your decisions as king and then the Senate jumps on that. I get it. You don't want the Senate bothering you or whatever the hell it is they do." Emma shrugged. Again, she did not know politics and her understanding of the government was rather childlike. She figured the King was in charge and could do what he wanted. It seemed that way to her, so she did not see why he cared about what the Senate did. She would have to ask Regina later.

The King frowned and moved away, going back to his chair. He flopped down with a sigh. Emma watched him carefully. _What's he gonna do? I feel like I got him_.

"You feel that passionately for her?" he asked. His voice was low and calm again. It was like he was defeated, but wanted to pretend he was in control.

"I told you, I _love_ her." For Emma, those words meant everything once they were spoken aloud. Before, she would have done anything for Regina, but now, she would go to the ends of the planet for her and then some. She would give her life for Regina if necessary.

"And Henry, is he your son?"

She narrowed her gaze on him. "You know he is."

"Then, I suppose I shouldn't stand in the way of your happiness. Any father would step aside if it meant his children would be happy. I'm sure you'd do the same for Henry," he said.

She did not like him mentioning Henry and she did not like him acting like he was a father to her. But, instead of calling him on his bullshit once more, she took this victory and went for the door. As she touched the knob, he had one last word of advice for her.

"Emma, in the future, perhaps you should speak to me instead of trying to beat me at some childish game," Leopold commented.

Emma shrugged. "I dunno, perhaps in the future, you should sit down and talk to people before you force yourself into their lives. But, you know, I guess you're the King and all…" She let that hang in the air. She doubted it would make any impact, though. It did not matter. She was going home, to Regina and Henry, the family she wanted. The family who did not need her to hide and the family she was not holding back in some manner.

-8-8-8-8-

Regina had to hold her hands together in front of her as she walked the halls of her childhood home. Simply known as "the Manor," it was the house her family had been moved to after Castia lost the war. By her teen years, she had figured out it was a prison. But, it was not a prison designed by Leopold or any official of the Enchanted Forest. It was not a prison for her parents. No, it was her prison, along with a couple of other inmates. She was not sure if they had ever figured it out, though. Her father had always seemed pretty dense about those things, after all.

Her stomach refused to settle as she moved, her heels were silent with each step on the expensive carpet that ran through the halls. She could at least keep her nerves at bay by keeping her hands from shaking, holding them tighter together as she got closer to her destination. Her mother sat in a small room that overlooked her garden. It was too cold to sit in the garden, but the flowers were in bloom and the view was spectacular.

"Regina, sit," Cora ordered in a cordial manner, motioning to the chair across from her at the circular table.

Regina nodded. "Yes, Mother." She eased into the chair. She sat tall, regal, like her mother taught her. She even managed to look Cora in the eye. Of course, her stomach ended up in her feet, but she maintained her queenly posture.

Cora sat quietly, sipping her tea. A servant poured Regina a cup. Regina knew better than refuse, but she did not drink. She waited for her mother.

"Have some tea, dear," Cora insisted.

Regina frowned, but sipped anyway. It was ginger tea, definitely not her favorite. She expected as much. Her mother used to serve ginger tea whenever she invited Regina and Zelena to sit with her when they were younger. The sisters did not like it, but they were forced to drink every last drop and they did so gladly, always happy to have Mother invite them to her special teatime.

"So, what do you hope to accomplish by remaining married to this peasant, Emma Swan?" Cora inquired.

"Emma Swan is not a peasant, Mother," Regina replied. It was good to know her mother's spies had not figured out Emma was the King's illegitimate child. She was not sure what her mother would do with the information and she had very little desire to find out.

"A bounty hunter whose mother was a stripper and an alcoholic. She was once in prison for three years where she gave birth to a child whom she gave up to adoption. While in prison, she earned a high school diploma, as she was a dropout while out on her own in society. This sounds like a very peasant lifestyle."

"She is not a bounty hunter."

Cora rolled her eyes. "Regina, cut the semantics. You will annul this foolish marriage and tell the King this rogue woman brainwashed you, seduced you, blackmailed you for all I care. You will beg his forgiveness and remind him that you once saved his child's life."

"I will do no such thing."

Cora's jaw tensed. "Regina, I have indulged you in this life. I allowed you your fling with that other horrible peasant. I've let you play politics in your tiny town if only to prepare you for real politics. Now, I have built you up to be a queen and I will not let you throw it away on whatever foolishness you think you're getting away with."

Even though every nerve in Regina's body was jumping and she felt like she would shake apart, she steadied herself and continued to look her mother right in the eye. "I will not annul the marriage. I cannot. It's perfectly legal and consummated. I doubt the King would want me at this point."

Cora's eyes flashed and her mouth fell into a frown. "You didn't throw away this chance, Regina. You're not _that_ stupid, despite what you do when left to your own devices."

Regina took offense to that. "Mother, I have lived my life just as you wanted. What have I done that could be considered remotely stupid?"

Cora pursed her lips. "Oh, so I wanted you to date that stable boy? You're quite lucky he died."

Regina shot out of her seat. "I loved him!" How dare her mother belittle Daniel and his memory?

"Sit down," her mother ordered in a leveled, cold tone. She obeyed without thought. "He is just one of many examples of what happens when I allowed you stray from your goals. You're lucky the King even fancied you after he found out you had a son."

Regina had to use all of her self-control to keep her face from falling. "You consider adopting Henry to be an act of stupidity? He's your grandson."

"And he has the potential to be a charming lad, but you've already spoiled him rotten. I suppose I can take the blame for that, as I have indulged you and your sister throughout your lives."

Regina's mouth almost hit the table, but she managed to catch herself just in time. "Indulged us?" Yes, Henry might be a little spoiled, maybe even a lot, but her mother had never indulged Regina or Zelena in their lives.

"Yes, now, as I have said, cut this nonsense. Regina, if you don't do as you know you should, you will disappoint me."

"Let's be truthful, Mother. We both know I have disappointed you. But, I will not let that stop me from having this. This marriage is mine and it makes me happy."

"Being Queen will make you happy!" Cora roared. This should have been a big, red glaring sign for Regina, but she missed it completely because she wanted to stick up for her choices and her family.

"No, that would make you happy!" Regina shouted back.

Cora rose and Regina gulped. Her mother rounded the table and Regina was certain her heart would explode in her chest as it sped up. She felt pinned as Cora stared her down.

"Regina, you will stop this whole silly mess, one way or the other."

"No, Mother. I will not." This was the last thing Regina recalled saying to Cora.

-8-8-8-8-

Emma helped Henry with his homework, which was something she was used to doing from her visits. He had a lot of questions about their new family, but she begged him off by telling him it would best for her and Regina to answer those questions together. So, the sooner he made it through his homework, when Regina came home, the sooner he would be able to ask away. They heard the door open and Henry looked up with a grin.

"No you don't, kid. You finish that math problem," Emma ordered as she stood to go greet Regina. The sight she saw when she got the door, she did not even know what to make of it. "Holy shit, Regina!"

"Emma…" Regina groaned before she fell to the floor, body bruised and bloody. Emma rushed to her side, hoping the "till death do us part" of the vows was not at the door just yet.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: what happened to Regina and Emma's reaction.


	8. Catch a Break

I don't own these characters.

8: Catch a Break

Regina woke up in the hospital. The rush of the clean, sterile smell made her head spin and everything she could possibly take in seemed jumbled together. For a long moment, she was confused as to why she was in the hospital, but after glancing at her arm, she remembered. Her mother had lost it and then bones were broken. She felt someone petting her hair. Looking up, she saw Emma standing by her.

"Emma?" Regina's voice sounded scratchy and low. It felt like it took so much energy to say a simple name. Moving the minimum amount of muscles in her face seemed to make her whole body throb with a muted pain.

"Hey," Emma gave her a small smile. "How you feel? They gave you stuff for the pain, but I know it could still hurt."

Regina groaned. "It hurts, but not too badly. What happened?"

"Funny, I was gonna ask you the same thing. How the hell did you drive with a broken arm and a broken wrist on the other hand?"

Regina shook her head as much she could, which seemed like a lot to her and made her dizzy. "I don't remember driving anywhere. I just remember Mother…" She remembered Mother's fury with her and her refusal to annul her marriage. She remembered threats and promises that one way or another Regina would be married to the King eventually.

"Your mother did this to you?" Emma demanded, mouth drawn in a tense scowl.

Regina shook her head again and then had to fight down the urge to throw up. There would be no more head shaking for a while. "I don't remember."

Maybe it was the pain medication, but Emma did not look like she bought that. "Okay, how about _would_ your mother do something like this?" 

Regina's eyes stared off into space. "She was so angry," her voice trembled. The way her heart rate increased and it hurt to breathe, even without her mind remembering, her body knew who had done this to her.

"It's all right, love. It's all right," Emma whispered and she stroked Regina's head adoringly. She kissed Regina's temple.

"Can… can we go home?" Regina's voice was small now.

"Yeah, we can. Whale gave you some prescriptions we should fill."

Regina shook her head. "We'll go to the apothecary. I can't be without my arm and hand for weeks on end. A potion will heal this much faster."

Emma nodded. "That's true. You're okay with magic for healing?"

"In this case, yes. I don't want to spend our first month of marriage with both limbs in a cast."

"I don't think I've seen a licensed apothecary in town."

"There isn't one. The town is much too small." Most apothecaries operated some place where their clientele could afford their wares and Storybrooke was far from that.

Emma nodded. "I'll get you home and I'll take a drive to the capital to get you something then."

"You'll have to take the prescriptions. The apothecary will be able to come up with something based on those."

Emma nodded and hurried to get Regina discharged. She took Regina home and carried her up to bed as if it was nothing. She eased Regina into bed with care.

"You're stronger than I give you credit for," Regina whispered.

Emma grinned and flexed her bicep, but her shirt covered it. Regina was well acquainted with the muscle anyway. Emma had carried her places before, but never as far as the front door to the bedroom. It was impressive.

"Where's Henry?" Regina asked.

"I left him with Ruby. I'll go get him and then get your healing potion. Okay?"

"It's fine."

"Also, you should expect a call from Kathryn. She was with us at the hospital, but she had to leave before you woke up."

Regina nodded and Emma kissed her forehead. Then Emma was gone in a flash, which was fine because Regina was asleep before she heard the door close. A buzzing noise took her from her slumber and it took her a long moment before she realized it was her phone. Reaching blindly for where she usually kept it on the nightstand, she managed to find it. The accomplishment was answering the thing with her hands restrained the way they were. She figured it was Kathryn, who was probably out of her mind with worry. She would like to let her friend know she was fine and well cared for.

"'ello?" Regina muttered. Her mouth felt so dry, like she had eaten cotton. Her head also felt like it was full of cotton.

"Regina, have you gone mad?" The shrill, cultured voice of her older sister blared in her ears. For some reason, all of the cotton in her head did not make the voice more bearable.

"Zelena?" Regina found herself saying, even though it was obvious.

"How could you be so stupid? I'm sure whatever punishment Mother saw fit to give you was well deserved."

Regina groaned. "For what?"

"Oh, so I am to assume you are just stupid, then. You're going to pretend you didn't marry some peasant without consulting Mother and without her consent when you were promised to the King? Honestly, Regina, I always knew you would fall apart, but I didn't think you'd do so in such a grand fashion. Why Mother had any hope in you at all is beyond me," Zelena declared.

"Is this call just to insult me?" Regina asked, but then again, that was every call and visit from her sister, which thankfully were few and far in between.

"Mother worked very hard for you, Regina. Don't throw it away."

"So, you're calling on Mother's behalf then?"

"Regina," the name was said as a warning.

Regina did not have the time or energy to deal with her sister. She hung up and accidently dropped the phone. She was asleep again before she remembered Kathryn would probably call. She did not wake up until she heard the telltale clomping on the stairs — Henry was home.

"Mom, are you okay? Emma said you had an accident!" Henry rushed to her bedside. She hoped she did not look too horrifying, but from his wide, watery eyes, she suspected she was quite a sight.

"I'm fine, Henry. I did have an accident, but Emma's taking good care of me," she assured him.

Henry grinned. "It's good you married her when you did, huh? Of course, I could take care of you, too. But, I'll let Emma help."

Regina nodded. "How magnanimous of you, Henry. Don't go overboard or you might make Emma feel self-conscious."

He giggled, as if he understood what she meant. Regina just smiled. Emma entered the room right after, a white bag in hand. Apparently, she was asleep long enough for Emma to make the long drive to Misthaven and back. Glancing off to the side and out of the window, she saw it was nighttime.

"Here's the potion. I didn't know you have to take these things in stages. Henry rode shotgun if you don't mind," Emma said.

"I don't mind the trip, but I do mind if he actually rode shotgun," Regina replied, feeling better after such a long sleep. Emma looked down, guilty as charged.

"I got to ride in the front and we had pizza! It was better than the pizza here. I got extra cheese and pepperoni! Plus, Mama let me ice cream for dessert," Henry reported with a grin, bouncing on his heels.

Emma groaned, putting her hand over her face for a second. "Remind me never to rob a bank with the kid, huh? Geez, Henry, just tell the whole thing." She locked eyes with Regina. "I brought you back eggplant parmesan if you feel like you can eat something a little heavy. I'll heat it up for you while you take the potion."

"You're doing quite well, dear," Regina told Emma.

Emma grinned and stood up a little taller. Regina would scold her later about letting their seven-year-old son ride in the front seat, but for now, Emma was doing very well. Emma left the potion with her and then left for the kitchen. Henry climbed onto the bed and snuggled close to her. She had to bite back a wince as he pressed against her broken arm.

"Emma said that's your medicine to help you feel better," Henry said, pointing to the bag.

"Well, it is like medicine, but it works faster."

Henry wiggled with excitement. "Oh, it's magic!"

"Yes, it is magic."

"Can I watch you take it? I wanna see magic. My teacher said magic is almost gone."

"Well, not almost. There certainly isn't as much of it as there once was." The world once overflowed with magic, but it was many centuries ago. There were still breakthroughs in magic and magic practitioners, but it was much different from what magic used to be.

His brow furrowed a bit and his large eyes were a little sad. "Cuz the fairies died, right?"

Regina nodded. "That's part of it." There were many theories as to why magic had faded from the world. It was not entirely gone, but much of the Fae were. Fairies were extinct and had been for almost five hundred years.

"We never used magic on my boo-boos," Henry pointed out.

"You've never had a very bad boo-boo. A bandage is always good enough for you and I hope it always is," Regina answered. Besides, magic was expensive and not to be used lightly.

Henry watched curiously as Regina pulled out a box. It contained five clear vials with a sky blue liquid. There was a label on each one, just like a prescription bottle with instructions. She would need to take one a day before her arm and wrist were completely healed. She opened one and downed it, wincing at the taste. Henry inspected the other ones.

"I thought it'd have sparkles in it," he commented, holding one up to his face.

Regina could not help laughing. Her body relaxed as she felt the potion taking effect, clearing the fog in her mind and the dull pain of her body. Emma returned with her meal warmed and then she took Henry away for his bath. Regina was impressed once again. She ate and managed to get out of bed to help Emma put Henry to sleep.

-8-8-8-8-

Emma had her arm wrapped around Regina's shoulders. Regina cuddled against her. In this short time of being married to Regina, Emma already found out a lot about herself. She had always feared she would never be a good parent for Henry, but aside from letting him ride in the front seat, she seemed to have done all right tonight, if Regina's smiling and nodding at her meant anything. It was not as scary as she had always thought, but maybe it was because Regina was there, even if she was hurt.

Then, there was the fact that she had not panicked with Regina when she fell into the house, hurt. Beyond the broken bones, Regina had also been bruised and bloody. Emma wanted to run in every direction, confused and crazy. But, she managed to hold it together. She got Regina to the hospital, even though she drove like a maniac to do it, and got Henry some place safe. She made sure he did not panic. She even helped Regina figure out how to take a bath with her casts on. She did not run or freak out. She stepped up to the responsibility. This alone told her that she was with Regina for the long run.

"Are you all right?" Regina asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" Emma countered.

"I can feel your heart racing just a bit and you're tense. I know how you get when you start thinking. Are you lost in your own thoughts?"

Emma absently stroked Regina with her thumb. "No, I'm not really lost. I was just reviewing the day and thinking about how this was a good decision. I know we rushed it and everything, but I think I'm ready for this, Regina."

Regina chuckled a bit. "I have no doubt you are. Today was tough, but you handled it well, especially with Henry."

Emma felt pride blossom in her chest. Regina noticed how well she did and complimented her on it. _Wow, I'm gone on this woman_.

"I was able to get Henry through the day because I've seen you do it. I wouldn't have been able to handle this if I hadn't seen you do it." For the day, whenever she had to deal with Henry and she felt lost for a moment, she just thought about what she had already witnessed Regina do. It worked.

"Oh, so I give him pizza for dinner and ice cream for dessert?" Regina teased.

Emma laughed. "Cut the kid a break. His mom was in the hospital." This joke was too soon, for both of them. As soon as she said it, images of Regina falling into the house flooded her mind. She had feared Regina was in a coma when she did not wake up when they arrived at the hospital. She had almost punched Doctor Whale when he acted like everything was no big deal, but she had not and despite his blasé attitude, he did everything in his power to help the mayor.

"How much did the potion cost?" Regina asked out of the blue.

"As much as one would expect." Magic was expensive, especially for medicine.

"I can refund you the money."

"Regina, you're my wife." Emma grinned. "You don't have to refund me anything. I want you to get better. Besides, what's mines is yours."

Regina cuddled closer, as much as her injuries would allow. "And what's mine is yours. Also, 'mines' is not a word in the form you just used it. Please, be mindful of that."

Emma chuckled. "Or I might ruin Henry's stellar vocabulary? I'll do my best. I swear the kid talks better than me."

"'Than I do' is the proper phrase here."

Emma laughed even more. "All right, grammar police. I'll do my best. I don't wanna ruin the kid."

"You won't. You did very well with him."

"Thanks. Helping him with his homework still kills me. I feel like this second grader is so much smarter than me, but I'm so proud of him. I'm a bit nervous about when he gets older, though. When he's in seventh grade, how am I supposed to be able to help him with his homework? I flunked seventh grade."

"You'll be fine, dear. You're doing well now and you were doing well before we were married. Besides, you offer Henry much more than homework help. If push comes to shove, I'll help with homework and you can handle other things. I mean, imagine if our boy gets into sports."

Emma snickered. "I'd like to see you helping him bat."

The image of Regina trying to show Henry a proper batting stance while in her best heels, a pencil skirt, and a silk shirt with three of the top buttons undone was hilarious. It was probably safer to keep that to herself, though.

A small smiled played on Regina's lips. "No, that's what you're here for."

"Yeah." Sighing, her brow wrinkled a bit in worry. "I just don't want our kid to think I'm stupid."

"But, you're not. You have to be very intelligent to do your job and you have a vast wealth of street smarts along with good common sense. I hope you passed those onto Henry, as street smarts are equally valuable to book smarts and common sense is not that common. He will need everything he can get to do well in this world."

Emma felt pride straighten her spine again. Regina was good for her ego when she was in the right mood for it. Leaning down, she kissed the top of Regina's head.

"So, you want to tell me what happened?" Emma asked. She needed to know. Someone hurt her wife, her Regina. She wanted them to pay.

"My mother…" Regina shook her head, as if she did not want to say anymore. The silence that followed only proved that.

"Take your time, but I need you to tell me. What happened? I thought she… Well, I didn't think she would hurt you physically." Emma suspected Regina's mother had done serious psychological damage to Regina considering Regina had been ready to marry the King on her mother's orders, but what fell through the door that afternoon was beyond what Emma could have imagined. If Regina's mother could hurt her so severely as an adult, what had she done to the powerless child that Regina had once been?

Regina shook her head. "I seriously considered the fact that she might kill me, which is why I didn't want you to come. I knew she would have killed you, especially since she doesn't know you're the King's daughter. She knew everything else about you, but not who your father was. She would have torn you apart, literally."

"Well, I don't want you going to see her alone again. I want to be there in case she tries something like this again." If she could tell the King to go fuck himself if he thought to mess with her family, she could definitely tell Regina's abusive, psychotic mother the same.

Brown eyes stared at her as if utterly stricken. "No! I won't allow her near you. Emma, if she killed you… I don't… I can't… I can't lose everyone to her. I just can't."

Emma pulled her closer. "Shh." She kissed the top of Regina's head to soothe her. "I don't want you to get hurt again. I should be able to protect you."

"We're in this together, Emma. I did this alone to protect you. You facing my mother won't protect me. It will _destroy_ me."

Emma swallowed hard, not used to Regina admitting weakness. Regina's mother obviously would not hesitate to use violence and if Regina was right would kill her like she had probably done to Daniel. This, required finesse.

"What if I investigate your mother and try to find some stuff on her?" Emma suggested. She could do a little digging on Regina's mother like she did when she needed to find bail-jumpers.

Regina looked at her like she was crazy. "You want to blackmail my mother?"

"Well, if her finding out I'm the King's…" Emma paused and swallowed down the word "bastard." Regina smiled at her and she felt silly and proud at the same time. "If she finds out who I am and that still makes her want to get rid of me, we should have something on her just in case. Look, it worked with the King. Leopold wanted us to get an annulment and I told him no and pointed out how ridiculous he would look if he still tried to marry you and crap like that. Hell, I even threatened to tell people who I was."

"Yes, well, that logic will not hold with my mother. Nothing short of me being queen will make her happy and nothing scares her off."

Emma shook her head. "Funny, all my mother needed to be happy was me out of the house and enough alcohol to make her forget everything."

Regina studied her for a moment. "Do you know why your mother was that?"

Emma shrugged. "I always just took it as she felt like life sucked. She didn't have any family and the people she knew weren't the best. She didn't have any skill or hobbies, but she could've gotten those things when the King started paying her off. So, no, I don't have a clue why she was like that. I didn't ask a lot of questions growing up. Does your mother have an excuse?"

"I believe she is actually of low birth and is overcompensating."

"You'd think the fact that she married a prince would've been good enough for her."

Regina shook her head. "I think my mother is one of those people who you could give the moon and she would ask why not the stars as well."

Emma could imagine, as she had met plenty of people like that. There were times when Regina seemed liked that, but she was certain it was more of an act or a defensive mechanism than anything else. "Well, you're not in this alone anymore."

Regina kissed her shoulder. "And neither are you."

Emma smiled. "So, I'll look into your mother, if you don't mind. I've got a lot of connections."

"Thank you, dear, for being here with me."

"My pleasure."

"But, make sure Henry is always in the backseat from now on, please."

Grinning, Emma nodded. "Of course. You should know he was very insistent about putting on his seatbelt."

"Yes, but you should be insistent about it." Regina sighed and was silent for a moment. "I doubt I'll be able to cook anything beyond breakfast."

Emma smiled. _Regina's such a mom_. "I can handle it. I don't make much, but I can make spaghetti, so he's not having fast food two days in a row."

"And neither are you."

"Oh, is that the type of wife you're gonna be?" Emma asked with a teasing smile.

"It has always been a dream of mine, to take care of my spouse and our children as if they were the most precious things on the planet because you are to me. So, yes, I will be that type of wife. When I am able, I will cook almost every meal and I will send you to work with leftovers for lunch. I will watch your diet for you and make sure you go to any and every doctor's appointment. I will randomly text you how much I love you. And, best of all, when I use of both arms again, I will hold you and love you in ways you didn't know existed."

Emma sniffled. "Gods-be-damned, Regina." No one had ever said anything like that to her and she knew Regina meant all of that. No one had ever taken care of her the way she knew Regina could and wanted to.

Regina managed to pat Emma's thigh with her healthier hand, the one attached to the broken arm. Emma smiled and kissed the top of Regina's head again. They would make it through this, no matter what Cora tried to throw at them. They were strong together.

-8-8-8-8-

Regina had to admit that Emma did a very good job on dinners throughout the week while she recovered from her injuries. While Emma was no chef by far and not even a dabbler like Regina, she cooked four out of the seven days, making sure they did not eat fast food two days in a row. There was spaghetti one night, chili another, a very daring attempt at chicken cutlets that she needed some help with, and she finished the week off with stuffed peppers.

Now, Regina was better, though, and it was the weekend. She decided to start this day off with waffles, strawberry waffles to be exact. Emma enjoyed them and Henry would see it as a treat to be able to put syrup on anything. She also made fluffy scrambled eggs and cut up some bananas, putting those in separate saucers. When the pair made their way downstairs, everything was already set and they just needed to sit at the table.

"Oh, waffles!" Henry grinned as he climbed into his chair.

"You put fruit on everything, huh?" Emma asked with a teasing smile before she leaned down to kiss Regina's forehead.

"It makes it healthy," Henry stated.

Regina chuckled. "Well, it adds a bit of health to an otherwise unhealthy meal."

Henry and Emma did not care much about the healthy part and just devoured the waffles. They mumbled something that might have been conversation, but talking seemed to get in the way of eating. Emma devoured two very large and thick waffles. Regina could not help smiling as some syrup ran down the corner of Emma's mouth. Henry ate a waffle and tried to eat another when he saw Emma start a second, but it was too much for him with everything else.

Regina looked forward to making more meals for them. Well, really she looked forward to doing everything for them. She planned to do laundry today and even looked forward to that. She just wanted to take care of them.

As she watched them eat, she thought about if she had married the King. Something this simple, just watching her family eat and enjoy a meal would not have been as fulfilling. She would not be able to cook for her family, but she would be able to watch them eat and it just would not be the same.

"So… I've got a job," Emma said once all of her food was gone.

"Oh, can I come?" Henry asked with an eager smile.

Emma laughed. "No. You always ask."

Henry shrugged. "You might lemme go one day."

"Well, today is not that day." To soften the blow, Emma walked over and kissed his forehead.

"When will you be back?" Regina asked. She wished they had a chance to spend some time together now that she was healthy. This had to be the strangest start to a marriage ever, but it was still better than being married to the King.

Emma shrugged, looking much like Henry. "I'm not sure. It might just be a couple of days. I'll call, though."

"Of course." Regina was surprised by the disappointment she felt, but it settled in her stomach worse than ever before. This was not like when Emma came and stayed a while and then left. This hurt. _I just have to adjust. This is her job_.

Regina cleared the table and moved to do the dishes while Henry raced off to get time on his video games, as he was not allowed to play them much during the week. Emma went to get ready to leave, which she did quite quickly. Regina was still elbow-deep in soap suds with the dishes by the time Emma made her way back into the kitchen. Emma hugged her from behind, resting her head on Regina's shoulder, and putting her hands against Regina's abdomen.

"I'm gonna try to be back soon, okay?" Emma said.

"I know." Regina hoped that sounded normal. She did not want to pressure Emma, especially not make her feel like she needed to change.

"I promise." Emma caressed Regina's stomach as if that made the vow all the more true.

"All right."

"I left a little something for you on your office desk. I'll do some more digging when I get a chance."

"Okay."

Emma seemed very reluctant to go, which made Regina smile. Emma made a little whiny noise as she pressed herself closer to Regina and it was so cute. She kissed Regina's cheek and she dislodged herself from the mayor. Regina grabbed a towel to dry her hands as Emma walked away. Regina grabbed her by the hand and pulled her back.

"How about a real goodbye kiss for your wife?" Regina asked with a smirk.

Emma chuckled. "Of course. You never have to ask."

Emma wrapped her arms around Regina's waist again and leaned down for a kiss. It was short and sweet, with a touch of perfection. It was a simple press and movement of their lips, as their son was around. Emma pulled Regina closer and caressed her hip. When they pulled away, they both smiled a bit.

"I look forward to doing that more often," Regina sighed with a content flutter in her heart.

Emma gave her a sort of dopey half-smile. "Me, too."

"Then hurry back."

"Lemme go say goodbye to the kid."

Regina nodded, but she and Henry saw Emma off, even though they got personal farewells. Once Emma was gone, Regina finished the dishes and Henry went back to his game. With the dishes done, Regina went to do other chores around the house and kept Henry company for a while before she was finally drawn to the file Emma left on her desk.

Flipping through it, she picked up her phone. "Hello, Kathryn. Do you think I could meet you and pick your brain about an important matter?"

"I always have time for you. Plus, I would like to find out how marriage is treating you. When do you want to meet?"

"If you don't mind coming over here, we can meet whenever you want. I don't want to pull Henry from his games."

"Oh, Frederick will enjoy playing against him for a while. I'll bring him if you don't mind."

"Of course."

Kathryn was over within a half-hour. By then, Regina had tea and cake prepared. Frederick took cake into the living room for him and Henry. Regina and Kathryn made themselves comfortable at the kitchen counter.

"So, business or pleasure first?" Kathryn asked with a grin and practically bounced in her seat.

"Well, there isn't much pleasure yet. You know I was injured."

"Yes." Kathryn knew Regina well enough to know not to ask how she became injured. But, Kathryn had been over to check on her earlier in the week, which she appreciated. "Seems like Emma took very good care of you and she bought you a potion. She cares." Kathryn smiled.

"She does."

Kathryn placed a hand on Regina's forearm briefly. "You need someone to take care of you. I know you're a nurturer just from watching you with Henry. Well, and how you were with Emma when she came to town."

Regina sighed. "You suspected, didn't you?"

Kathryn waved that off, which only confirmed that she did. "That doesn't matter. It was your business and you were happy. I like seeing you happy."

"That's good. Then, I suppose you'll help me with a little matter." Regina put her hand on the folder Emma left.

"What's this?" Kathryn opened the folder and flipped through. "Is Emma investigating your mother?"

"My mother wishes to have our marriage annulled. She will stop at nothing."

Kathryn nodded. "I have heard tales that she is not a woman to make an enemy out of."

"Well, I have been foolish enough to do so. My mother has very high ambitions."

"And she is the one who arranged your secret engagement?" Kathryn guessed.

"Yes. Now, I need to be prepared for war. Emma has found a very interesting vein to tap. My mother has been spending more money than her allowance allots. Unfortunately, Emma has not been able to figure out where the money comes from yet, but I know this is your expertise, so to speak," Regina said without going too far, she hoped. Kathryn's father had been hiding funds for as long as she had known their family.

Kathryn's brow furrowed. "Well, if her money comes from the same place as my father's, then I can see why she's hiding it and I damn sure can find it." She gave a devilish smile.

"My mother crossed your family once, didn't she?" This was a guess because Kathryn seemed so eager to help take Cora down a peg. Not to mention, her mother had crossed many people in her rise to the top.

Kathryn shrugged. "She crossed me when she decided to try to trample on your happiness. You are my best friend and I couldn't have gotten through law school without you. I've got you on this. Oh, and remind me to tell Emma good work on looking out for you."

Regina just glared at Kathryn, who smirked. Shaking her head, Regina grunted. Again, Kathryn smirked more. Regina imagined her bond with Kathryn was similar to how sisters should be, but she doubted she would ever find out.

"Okay, with this out of the way, let's talk shop. While I understand you were injured for the first week of your marriage, you have to tell me about it anyway. I want to know how things are going. We should work out a time to go on a double date," Kathryn said brightly, patting Regina on the bicep.

"I'll talk to Emma and see," Regina answered.

"You do that." Kathryn smiled. "She's good for you, Regina, and to you. You know she made sure to call me when you went to the hospital?"

Regina nodded. She knew. Emma had done exceptionally well in regards to the hospital and waiting for Regina to heal. "While I did my best not to let the injuries get in the way of my normal duties around the house, Emma was amazing."

Kathryn tittered and nodded. Regina found herself rambling on about everything Emma had done during the week, chasing Henry around to get him into his pajamas, making sure meals were made, lunches were packed, and Emma had even done the laundry. Kathryn indulged her, hanging on her every mundane word.

-8-8-8-8-

Emma sighed as she sat in her car, on a stakeout. She was bored out of her mind and hungry. She went into her duffle bag and found something she did not pack. It was a little brown bag. Brow furrowed, she opened it and smiled as she pulled out a note.

"Remain vigilant and fortified. You are loved and missed," she read with a smile. It was written in Regina's beautiful script with her signature at the bottom. Sighing, she felt a loving warmth spread through her. "Fae, I wanna go home."

She wanted to play games with Henry and cuddled with Regina. Instead, she was stuck in this tiny car, cold and alone, waiting for some douche who should have just stayed in jail. But, she had to make money and she was good at this.

"I don't get it. I've done this a bunch of times. Why the hell is it bothering me now?" she wondered. Of course, this was not really the first time. It was the first time she admitted, but the note put it over the top. Added to that, there was food in the bag.

There was a cold sandwich, homemade cookies, and a salad in a baggie. Emma chuckled at the sight of the salad and missed her wife all the more. _She wasn't lying when she said what type of wife she would be_. The thought made even more warmth spread through Emma.

"My wife. I'm married to Regina and she's my wife," Emma said and then she almost missed her mark.

-8-8-8-8-

It felt like an eternity, even though it had been a day since Emma had been home and it felt like home when she crossed the threshold. She took a shower in Henry's bathroom to avoid waking the house since it was quite late. Then, she crawled into bed with Regina, gathering the smaller woman in her arms. Regina curled into her.

"Welcome home," Regina murmured, possibly more asleep than awake.

"It's good to be home." Emma would dread leaving again, but she was home now.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: the family tries to enjoy some domestic peace, but Emma remains troubled about leaving for her job.


	9. Family and Friends

I don't own these characters.

9: Family and Friends

Emma smiled as she woke to the very familiar feel of Regina's lips kissing her abdomen. _There is no better wake up_. She missed these moments. They had not had sex in a few weeks now. Between Regina's injuries and then Emma's work and not being able to do it with Henry in the house, not to mention regular household chores and parenting stuff, there was not much time for sex. Thankfully, Regina seemed to be making up for that.

"Hey," Emma whispered, running her hand through Regina's hair.

"Good morning," Regina purred in that low, seductive, slightly scratchy morning voice. It made Emma shudder and a very important part of her body twitch.

"Don't let me keep you from what you're doing down there."

Regina chuckled and placed a light kiss just above Emma's belly button. Emma settled into her pillow as her body heated up and Regina licked a line from her navel right down to where she wanted the older woman. Whimpering in anticipation and just about to hook her leg on Regina's shoulder, everything was paused as her phone went off.

"Ah, what the hell," Emma groaned. She had no plans to answer, but she hated that she needed to reach for it if only to shut it off.

Regina gave her an annoyed look, complete with an arched eyebrow and pursed lips. Emma had no idea where her phone was, so she returned Regina's look with sheepish look of her own and a shrug. Regina glared at her as the phone finally stopped ringing. Emma grinned, hoping Regina would continue, but then her phone rang again.

"Really? Gods-be-damned!" Emma growled, scanning the room for the stupid phone. _Couldn't whoever the hell that is wait, like, fifteen minutes?_

"I suppose you should get that, dear. It could be important," Regina said, sitting up.

"No, no, no! Come on!" Emma grabbed for her wife, but Regina actually dodged her. _Cheeky tease!_

"Moment's passed," Regina replied with a straight face, actually getting out of bed.

"No, no, no!" Emma grabbed Regina by the hand. "Come on, love. We haven't… well, we haven't done it since we got married." _How the hell can we be an old married couple less than a month into the marriage? _

Regina arched an eyebrow and kind of glared down at her. Emma knew somewhere between "no" and "got married," she said something wrong, but she could not for the life of her figure out what it was. _I am so fucking this up_. The phone stopped ringing.

"Did you marry me so we could 'do it'?" Regina inquired, pulling her hand away.

"Regina," Emma sighed, wondering why Regina would just jump to that conclusion. _Haven't I proven otherwise?_ "You know I didn't." Sitting up, she crawled to the end of the bed and looked Regina in the eye. "You know I love you. I just… I just want to be with you and express that love physically."

Regina's face softened a bit. "Emma, this is something we have to talk about, then. I told you that when we married. This isn't as simple as you leaving for a job anymore and me meeting you in Misthaven or you popping up here and spending time before you're on your merry way."

Emma groaned. "I know." This truly had not worked out the way she planned since she did not imagine things would change so much. "I just… I don't know what to do…" This was beyond her and she did not know how to handle it. She did not know what to expect or what she was meant to do. She was playing it by ear and sometimes, she felt like she got it right and other times she felt like now – lost.

Frowning, Regina tensed so much the vein in her forehead popped up. "Do you want out?"

"No!" Emma swung her legs over the bed and grabbed Regina to her. The phone rang again, but they both ignored it. Emma hugged Regina to her. "I love you and you know that means the world to me. You and Henry are the world to me. I just don't know what to do. I don't know how to be a wife. I don't know how to be married."

"Neither do I," Regina whispered.

"You're doing such a good job of it, so it comes across like you know exactly what to do. You always seem so… together, like you were made for this." Emma's brow furrowed, feeling like she did not explain herself well, but this was the best she could do. Regina seemed made for married life and she felt like she just mucked up everything she touched.

Regina gave her a sad smile and pressed her forehead to Emma's. Regina cupped Emma's face with both hand and rubbed just behind her ears with her middle fingers. Emma sighed, feeling relaxed.

"I should know you better than this," Emma muttered. Regina was always good for putting on a strong façade and Emma usually could see behind the mask. Now, she had dropped the ball at a crucial time.

"You know me better than anyone," Regina assured her.

"And you know me better than anyone, so you know I didn't marry you just to do _it_. I'm sorry I made it seem that way."

Regina offered her a small, half-smile. "You didn't make it seem that way. I might be a little on edge, as well. You're not the only one who would like to be intimate, after all. I have noticed our sessions have tapered off. I would like to remedy the situation."

Emma nodded. "What should we do?"

"Well, first, you should answer your phone." The damned thing rang again.

Emma groaned and then frowned. "Do you know where I put it?"

"I told you put it on the nightstand every night. Routine helps you avoid situations like this."

"Thanks, _Mom_," Emma teased.

Regina rolled her eyes and then backed away from Emma, retreating into the bathroom. Emma groaned again and began searching for the phone. It was in her pants' pocket and her pants were halfway under the bed. She yelped and moved to get her pants in the hamper where they belonged while she answered her phone. Her shoulders dropped as she received more work.

Emma was not sure she ever felt disappointed to have work, but she did now. Her guts ground against each other, making her actually feel sick with the idea of leaving town yet again. Sitting on the bed, she stared at her phone. Apparently, she zoned out because next thing she knew, Regina was back in the room, wrapped in her robe.

"What's the matter, dear?" Regina inquired.

"I don't wanna go to work," Emma sighed, scratching the front of her head.

"Why not?" Regina walked to the closet.

"I just wanna stay here with you and Henry," Emma admitted. Once upon a time, she would never make such a confession, but after telling Regina she loved her, a lot of other emotional things seemed to pale in comparison. Also, it seemed ridiculous to tell all to Regina once to get her to agree to marriage and then try to hide everything.

"Well, if you think you'd be happy working here in town, then look for work here." She said it as if things were that simple.

Emma groaned. "Here? The only thing I'm good at is catching people who run away. Storybrooke doesn't have anything like that. This place is like some fairy tale. Actually, I'm a bit surprised you like living here." Knowing Regina, she thought the big city would suit her better. The city offered more challenges and excitement. There were way more ways to rise to the top and so much more to do in general. While Regina might not want to rise to the top in the sense of being queen, she knew Regina loved a challenge and loved to move up in rank, proving herself competent and overall better than everyone else as she did so.

Regina chuckled. The sound was accompanied by the sharp noise of hangers moving across the clothes bar. "Maybe you should be more surprised you like living here."

Scoffing, Emma shrugged. "Well, you're here, so it's not much of a surprise. What made you stay here, anyway? I bet you would've been a killer lawyer in a big city." She could imagine Regina being a big shot partner at some prestigious law firm.

"I doubt I would be mayor in a big city."

Emma nodded, even though Regina could not see. "That's true, but what made you wander into this town in the first place?"

"Well, a judge I clerked with lived here and helped me become a prosecutor for the county. When I got here, I found the small town atmosphere a nice change. While I am a private person, I found it refreshing to be some place where most people are guileless, neighborly, and genuinely happy. And, yes, the 'everyone knows everyone' thing can be annoying, but it's that atmosphere that allowed me to adopt Henry."

Emma's eyebrows drew in. "How so?"

Regina stepped out, dressed in one of her sexy mayor suits. "Emma, I was a young woman who was barely out of school and while I had Daniel, we were not married. We are not the usual people who get newborn babies through adoption agencies. But, there were people at the agency who knew me and believed in me. They knew me beyond the papers in front of them and the few interviews I had undergone."

"Oh. I guess I didn't think about that." Emma scratched her head. "I feel like I'm not thinking at all."

Regina walked over to Emma and caressed her cheek. "Don't fret over it, dear. Take your time. I understand this is a little overwhelming for you. It's the same for me. I don't want to pressure you."

"You're not." Emma just wanted to do better and be better. 

"And there's nothing for you to feel pressured about. Henry still adores you and I will love you no matter what. Take a breath and figure out what you want."

Emma nodded. Regina leaned down and gave Emma a brief kiss, but it was enough to make Emma sit up a little straighter. It also helped her realize what she wanted more than anything.

-8-8-8-8-

Regina made breakfast as usual, needing to send Emma and Henry off with a warm meal. Henry was not very picking, but soon Regina would have to look up more breakfast recipes because she doubted Emma would be happy with hot cereals every day. Today, she went with an egg and sausage sandwich, using bagels instead of toast. She would just have a bagel, though.

As she scrambled the eggs, she considered poor Emma. While she was making this up as she went along to a degree, she was not floundering like Emma because she did not have to change as much. Emma had changed her entire life, putting down roots, taking on a family, and living in a sleepy small town. She could understand why Emma wanted to hold onto her job, wanting something familiar, but now it looked like she was about to give up that.

"I hope she survives that," Regina muttered. She feared eventually there would be a breaking point and Emma would pack her meager belongings back onto her rusted car and disappear from her life, from Henry's life. Hope that day would never come beat out the fear, thankfully.

"Morning, Mom," Henry yawned, hugging her from behind.

"Good morning, my little prince," Regina replied. She turned around and kissed the top of his head.

"Where's Mama?" he asked, rubbing his eye with the heel of his hand.

"She'll be down soon. How about you pour the juice?"

Smiling, Henry nodded. He liked being able to help. He needed his step stool to get glasses, but he handled pouring the juice fairly well. He carried each glass carefully to the table. Emma came down before Henry came back into the kitchen and Regina smiled when she heard the pair laughing. Glancing into the dining room, she caught sight of Emma hugging Henry close and tickling him. _I truly feel safe that she will never run from this, from him_. Regina hurried on the breakfast, wanting to share in that time, even if it just meant getting a closer look.

"Oh, this is new," Henry said, looking at his egg sandwich.

Emma chuckled. "You even cut it in half." She picked up one half.

"Should I not have done that?" Regina inquired. She did not know how to go about making these things, but whenever she made a sandwich, she always cut it in half.

"No, it's fine," Emma assured her with a smile. She then took a big bite. "It's really good. Just needs a bit of ketchup."

"Ketchup?" Regina did her best not to make a face. She did not want Emma to feel judged, but… ew.

"Yeah. Ketchup." Emma got up and retrieved the bottle. She did not put much on it, but it was still enough for Regina to wince. But, Emma tore into it after that. "It's good."

"Can I try?" Henry asked, holding half of his sandwich opened. Emma wasted no time putting ketchup on his food. He bit into it and did not look as happy as Emma, but Regina had no doubt he would devour the whole thing. "Hey, Mama, wanna go with me to the comic book store after school? All the new comics come out today."

Emma's brow furrowed. "How do you know when the new comics come out?"

"Mom," Henry answered as if it was obvious.

Emma glanced at Regina, who merely shrugged. Henry was interested in comic books and Regina was just happy he wanted to read, so she made it a point to know what she should about the new comic books he read. Sometimes, she read with him. Henry was the only person on the planet to know Regina actually enjoyed Spiderman.

"So, you wanna go?" Henry asked with a hopeful smile.

Emma frowned and put her food down. She then stared down at her plate, as if it somehow held the answers. Regina reached over and patted Emma on the thigh, hoping it would take some of the pressure off.

"I'd love to, kid," Emma muttered and Henry's face lit up. "But, I have work." And just as quickly his face showed heartbreak. Emma's face was not much better.

"Oh." Somehow, this one small word summed up everything between son and biological mother.

"Henry, Emma can take you some other time. You know work can inconvenience even the best of us," Regina said, needing to take any pressure Emma might be feeling. Emma was a flight risk, after all.

"I know," he mumbled. He might know, but his face certainly did not convey that understanding.

"Regina, it's all right," Emma said. "I can take him."

"You have work," Regina reminded her. While she did not mind spoiling Henry to a degree, she did not want him to think he had the power to stop either of them from taking care of other responsibilities to cater to his whims.

"I know," Emma replied.

Regina was not sure what that meant, but she did not have time to contemplate it. They needed to finish breakfast and get Henry ready for school. Emma took him to get dressed while Regina made sure he had everything in his book bag, even though she always made him pack it the night before. By the time the bus was out front, the seven-year-old was rushing out of the house. He ran back to give them both hugs, his large backpack bouncing and almost throwing his off balance, and then he waved as the bus doors closed behind him.

Emma smiled. "When I had him, I never imagined all of the things I could do with him since I knew I was giving him up, but I don't think I could have imagined so many cool little moments."

Regina nodded. "The little things are the ones that make this so incredible."

"Thank you for sharing it with me."

"Nonsense, my dear. I think all this time has proven I'm quite pleased with your presence, so there is no need to thank me. You also shouldn't start rearranging your schedule just because Henry suddenly wants to do something. He has to learn the world doesn't revolve him around him."

Emma shrugged and gave a lopsided grin. "Yeah, but my world kinda does. This is it." She raised her hands and motioned around the house. "This is my world. I used to be able to step out of it and knowing I could come back whenever was enough, but now…" Her voice wobbled, almost like she might cry.

"Now?" Regina prompted her, moving to hold Emma's hand. They stood in the foyer, but if this was where Emma was about to have an emotional breakthrough or breakdown, so be it.

"Now, I don't want to step out of it. I want to be here all the time and I hate being away. The idea of taking Henry to the comic book store is a million times more appealing than going to chase some idiot who doesn't know skipping bail is the stupidest move he could make. The last time I left, I kept thinking about how sad Henry looked when I walked out the door and couldn't play video games with him." Emma held her hand tightly and stared at her with watery eyes. "It hurt so much, Regina."

"Henry will grow to understand." He grew to understand she had to work as the mayor, which was different than her being a persecutor, not that he knew what either of those things were. He also grew to understand he had school, so things were different. He adapted. "He'll get used to it."

"That's just it, I don't want him to!" Emma huffed. "Henry has both parents home now and he shouldn't have to think about when Mama's gonna rush off again. If he wants to go get comics after school, I should be around for that."

"Most times you are. He just happened to pick a day you have work."

"I don't want to be _that_ parent, Regina." Emma's eyes begged her to understand. This was not about giving into Henry. This was about trying to give Henry the best childhood he could have and for Emma wanting to be a better mother than the woman who gave him up could dream of being.

"Emma, you don't have to try too hard. Henry will understand. You know how he is." Henry was like most children and would throw a tantrum to get his way, but he also had a big heart and a huge capacity for forgiveness. He just needed time to fully grasp the situation and he would forgive his Mama for not being able to be there every second of every day.

Sniffling, Emma shook her head. "I don't want him to have to understand because I don't want to do this anymore."

Regina swallowed down a tremble at the phrase "do this anymore." Intellectually, she knew Emma did not mean their relationship, but she still feared. Maybe it showed in her eyes or on her face because Emma pulled her close, hugging her tightly.

"I want to be a real mom to him, Regina, and a real wife to you. I want this to be my family and I feel like it's not every time I run out of here for work and it's my fault. I feel like I'm running out on you guys and I hate it. I don't want to work a job where there are days I don't get to see you or hold you because I'm in some other city. I don't want to work a job where I can't take Henry to get new comics the day they come out because I'm halfway across the country. I don't want to work a job that takes me away for days at a time anymore. This was fine when I didn't have a home, but I have one now and I want to stay here."

Regina's knees went weak at the statement and she clutched onto Emma to stay upright. How did this woman, this very nearly woman-child, have so much power over her? Regina did not know, but it was frightening. A few small words and Emma could make her fall to pieces or turn her into a pile of emotional goo. The idea of living without Emma was much more terrifying, though. Regina did not know how to respond beyond the most important phrase she knew.

"I love you," Regina whispered. "I love you so much." 

"I love you, too, and that's why I want to be here. I love you and Henry. This is everything I wanted in life and didn't even realize it until it was laid out in front of me. I'm tired of missing you both."

Regina melted against Emma at those words. How could someone who could barely put together a full sentence in the morning say something so profound and wonderful like it was nothing? Regina was wanted by someone who she wanted in return. This was a powerful feeling on insane levels.

"We'll be here, Emma. We are your family and you will not lose us at any point, especially not when you're trying your best to take care of us and do right by us. Take time to figure out what you want and how to achieve your goals. I will be here to help and support you," Regina vowed.

Emma sniffled again. "Okay. Good." There was silence for a long moment. "Thank you, Regina."

"Again, no reason to thank me. I'm your wife and I love you. I'm here for you as you are for me." Because Emma was always there for her in ways no other person, not even Daniel had been. If only Daniel had been so bold to marry her without anyone's permissions or blessings like Emma had.

Emma only nodded again. They held each other for a little while longer, but then Regina had to pull away. She had work and Emma had soul searching to do.

-8-8-8-8-

Emma ended up at the counter at _Granny's_ with a newspaper in her hands. Ruby glanced over her shoulder, reading the wanted ads with her. Emma groaned. She was not qualified for a lot of things and the things she was qualified for did not appeal to her. Ruby gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder.

"You'll find something," Ruby tried to assure her.

"Yeah, doubting it right now. The lack of a college degree is really biting me in the ass right now. I want to at least make near the money I make now, so I don't have to feel like I'm mooching," Emma replied.

Ruby laughed. "Hey, a lot of people would love for Regina to be their sugar-mama."

Growling, Emma glared at her friend. "First, you better not be one of those people. Second, I'm being serious here. I don't want Regina to be my sugar-mama. We're equals in this, so I have to bring something more to the table."

Ruby nodded. "You're right. But, like I said, you'll find something. If not in town exactly, then nearby. It's not like we're literally in the middle of nowhere."

"Maybe I could open my own PI company," Emma mused. She was good at finding out things.

Ruby shook her head. "Yeah, but this is a small town, so most people already know stuff and will share information for free. Not to mention, you won't get hired for finding much considering again, small town, so when people lose stuff, it's almost a guarantee someone who knows them will happen across it. We can't even donate stuff to Goodwill without the person who gets it coming up and thanking us a couple of days later."

"Of course they're going to know the super high heels are yours," Emma teased.

Ruby snickered. "Shut up. The best is when Regina and Kathryn go there together, clearing out last season's clothes. It's shopping day for so many women around here."

Emma laughed. She could picture it. Regina and Kathryn were probably the closest thing little Storybrooke had to fashion icons. Plus, they were noblewomen, so anyone of a social class below the peerage would want to be just like them.

"Okay, let's get back on track. What's something I could do and not want to kill myself by the end of the day and make decent money doing it?" Emma wondered aloud.

The bell over the door rang, signaling someone entering. Emma glanced up out of curiosity and watched Graham amble over. He sat next to her while Ruby went to get his usual.

"What's going on, Emma?" Graham asked. "Haven't seen much of you since you moved in with the Mayor. I always thought we'd hang out more, not less, if you lived in town."

"Really, Graham? You came in here to whine about how we're not hanging out? I thought Ruby was my chick friend," Emma taunted him with a grin.

"Don't flatter yourself, Swan. I haven't even gotten to tell you congratulations," Graham said.

"That's big of you," Ruby suddenly chimed in as she returned with Graham's food, packed up and bagged. The sheriff came in every day at the same time, so his food tended to be waiting for him.

"Why is that big of him?" Emma asked with a shake of her head.

Ruby's eyes went wide as she gawked at both of them. "Seriously?"

"Ruby, you shut up or I'll tell Granny what you're really doing when you claim to be at my place watching the game," Graham threatened, narrowing his gaze on his cousin.

Snorting, Ruby waved him off. "Oh, please, you think Granny believes that? You might as well fess up. It'll come up one night while we're all getting drunk anyway, as it did before," she chuckled.

Emma arched an interested eyebrow. "Before?"

"Yeah, before. He got lucky and blurted the whole sordid thing out literally right after you left the table to go to the bathroom when we were all drunk out of our minds," Ruby explained, a huge and amused grin on her face.

"What is it?" Emma asked Graham.

"I hate you," Graham growled at Ruby.

"Aw, you love your little cousin and you know it. Tell Emma. It's not like she's going to be pissed," Ruby assured him.

"I'm not telling her a damn thing and to Hell with you for even bringing this up," Graham grumbled, burying his head in his hands for a moment.

Ruby stuck her tongue out at him as soon as he looked at her again. He growled at her. They amused Emma when they got together. Ruby treated Graham like an older brother. She was protective of him when he was in trouble and annoying to him any other time, much like he was with her. But, from this behavior, Emma could guess what Ruby was trying to weasel out of him.

"It's okay, Graham. I don't have time to indulge Ruby's childish side. I need to find a job," Emma told him.

"A job? I thought you already had a job," Graham said.

"She wants one here in town. She doesn't like leaving," Ruby reported.

Graham nodded. "Oh. That makes sense. You want to be home with the Missus and the pup."

Emma chuckled at the use of the word "pup." Ruby said it, too. It was expected of them, being part of their culture and everything, as Ruby had werewolf blood in her and Graham had grown up around Ruby and werewolves, having been adopted into the family. Since there was not as much magic in the air as there used to be, werewolves did not change anymore as they did centuries back, but they retained several other natural aspects and the culture was still alive and well.

"Yeah, I'd like to be home at the end of the day like a normal person," Emma replied.

"Come be my deputy then," Graham offered with an easygoing shrug.

Emma's jaw dropped open. "What?"

"Our brilliant mayor saw fit to approve me a budget that allows for one full time deputy at least. She has been on my case to hire someone for a while now. I never bothered with it, but you'll do," Graham commented with a teasing smirk.

"Such a freaking ringing endorsement there. Don't you think you should have an interview with me or something that at least looks official?" Emma pointed out.

Graham sighed. "Fine. Emma, do you need a job?"

"Yes."

"Do you want a job?"

"Yes."

"There's the interview. You're hired. Now, I've got patrolling to do, but I'll soon be passing that onto you. Come by the station when you get the chance and we'll hammer out the details and I'll let you know when you start officially. " Graham grabbed his food and bid them farewell.

Emma sighed. "Working for the guy who used to want to date my wife. What the hell has my life become?"

"A little funnier because this is also a guy who wanted to date you," Ruby laughed.

Emma's mouth dropped open. "What?"

"Oh, yeah. When you blew into town, he got over Regina real quick and wanted to get with you. One night when we were out drinking, I had to all but stop him from humping your leg," Ruby joked.

Emma groaned. "Oh, crap. Does Regina know that?"

"Uh… small town. Probably."

"Fuck. Do you think this is cool?"

"I think Regina knows you'll be faithful and she knows Graham wouldn't try anything. Besides, I think she'll be happy you have a job in the town and also that Graham finally hired a damned deputy. He tried offering me the job before."

Emma's eyebrows drew in close. "Why didn't you take it? I thought you didn't like being a waitress."

"I don't, but Granny needs the help and he knows as well as I do that Granny's trying to train me to take over the joint. I just like giving her a hard time." Ruby gave her an innocent smile.

"You like giving everyone a hard time."

"You know I do, which leads me to your hard time. How's married life treating you?"

Emma was not sure how to answer that. It was not what she expected and she was not sure how she felt about that. She knew she could not go back to the way things were. She had to figure something out.

"There's a lot of things I didn't take into consideration when I jumped into this," Emma admitted.

Ruby gave her a sad look. "Do you regret it?"

Emma snorted. "Hell no. I just don't get it."

"I think you're doing all right. I mean, if you weren't, we both know Regina would let you know," Ruby pointed out.

"Can't call you a liar on that. Maybe I just need to get my confidence up then. I mean, I've never done anything like this. The closest I got was living with a guy in my damn car and I was only sixteen then."

"Well, look at it this way, you're older, wiser, in a house, and I'm willing to bet your teen boyfriend wasn't as hot as Regina."

Emma laughed. "Again, can't call you a liar there."

"Emma, I've seen how Regina looks at you and how you look at her. I've seen you together. You'll be fine. She's not expecting you to be perfect just like you're not expecting her to be perfect."

Once more, Emma could not call Ruby a liar. She needed to get control over herself. "Rubes, you're a good friend."

Ruby smirked. "I do what I can."

-8-8-8-8-

Regina sat with Kathryn for lunch. As usual, they had their phones on the table and on vibrate. It allowed them to converse, but also keep an eye on their phones in case of emergencies. Unfortunately, it also gave Kathryn a chance to see something Regina had taken care to hide.

"Regina, that's the third time your phone has gone off and you've ignored it," Kathryn pointed out before taking a delicate bite of her chicken salad sandwich.

Regina sighed. "It's my mother, or one of her cronies anyway." Her mother had been harassing her through every means possible since she refused to annul the marriage. "She has all of this dirt on Emma and she's trying to blackmail me with it, saying she'll ruin my reputation unless I annul the marriage." Thankfully, Cora still did not seem to know Emma was the King's daughter or Henry's birth mother. _Thank the dead gods all of that information is well hidden_.

Kathryn chuckled. "Well, fight fire with fire, I always say." She pulled a folder from her satchel and slid it across the table. "Your mother… oh, Regina, your mother." She could not look more amused if she tried.

Regina could only guess what that meant. "You found out about the money?"

"I found out about that and much more, especially when Emma and I combined forces."

"You did what?" This was news to her.

"She and I have resources and we wanted to make sure we weren't working on the same things. We could also verify each other's work. Besides, I want to make sure you stay happy. You helped push me to be with Frederick when I thought it was impossible, so now I'm returning the favor. Emma makes you happy, giddy almost in some cases. So, if Cora Mills has declared war on Emma Swan and you, then she has also declared war on me."

Regina smiled. "You're a good friend."

"So are you. Please, make sure you go over all of that on your own and with Emma."

"I know how to study and work, Kathryn," she sounded more annoyed than she was, as it was expected of her. She would go over everything and also conduct her own investigation. She knew people, too.

Kathryn merely chortled. "Now, with that done, how is married life going?"

Regina sighed. "Not as well as you make it seem. Looking at you and Frederick, I had assumed this would be so much easier."

Kathryn shook her head. "By the Fae, Regina. You should know relationships take work."

"I know. We haven't found our rhythm yet. But, I am confident Emma will not run away, which is a step up for her. I think she needs to find her comfort zone. She seems to think I know what I'm doing."

Kathryn laughed. "Of course she thinks that. You always put on that face and march boldly on. How many times did I freak out over exams in school while you played it cool and it turned out you were more nervous than I was?"

Regina rolled her eyes and sighed. "She's trying to find a job in town, so she can be close to me and Henry. I fear this might make her resent getting married. She is a free spirit. She used to live out of her car, for Fates' sake."

"Is this her idea or yours for her to get a job in town?"

"Hers, but I think she might be feeling pressure from Henry. She felt guilty about not being able to take him to the comic book store today."

Kathryn nodded. "Regina, these are just adult decisions Emma is going to have to learn to live with it. You have to have faith that she means it when she says she wants to be with you more often and you have to let her be an adult. She wants more now than living in her car and she's showing that. Try to think positive." 

Regina frowned. "You know that's not in my nature."

"I know, but try it. Emma's trying to become accustomed to you, so you should do the same a little. It'll help."

Regina nodded. This seemed like sound advice. Emma was still there and Emma certainly was trying, almost defying her very nature. Perhaps Regina needed to try to do the same. She could stand to have a little more faith.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Emma and Regina try being a normal married couple and they enjoy being a family.


	10. Date Night

I don't own these characters.

_Italics_ in quotation marks mean the speaker is talking in another language. Example: "_Like this_." There's also sexual situations ahead, so consider yourself warned.

10: Date Night

Emma entered the house with her chest puffed out, feeling proud, even though it was a little creepy to know she would be working with a man who once had a crush on her and her wife. Of course, Henry clutching his bag of comic books to his chest like they were his babies made her forget all about Graham. She wanted to be able to do this every Wednesday… or whatever day new comics came out. She would have to ask Regina.

"Mom! Mama brought me the whole graphic novel of Maximum Carnage! I wanna read it with you!" Henry practically shrieked like the little fan boy he was. He was off like a shot, heading toward the kitchen. "Mom!"

"Honey, I know you're excited, but that's no reason to stomp and shout through the house like you were born in a barn," Regina replied, turning away from the kitchen counter to face their son. She smiled down at him.

"I know. Sorry, but look!" He dug into his large plastic bag and yanked out a thick book. "It's the whole set! Can we read it tonight? I wanna read it tonight!" He bounced on his heels.

Regina hesitated and Emma could not help wondering if she had done something wrong. Maybe Henry was not supposed to have that particular series, which would explain why he did not have it. Maximum Carnage was old Spiderman, back-in-her-day-Spiderman. Surely if Regina wanted him to have it, she would have gotten it for him a long time ago. Emma was about to apologize and explain again how she needed to get the hang of this, but Regina spoke up first.

"Of course, sweetheart, provided you behave and finish your homework at a decent hour," Regina answered.

Henry nodded eagerly and then looked down. He realized he still had on his boots, which would not count as behaving. He rushed back to the door to remove those while Emma gave her a kiss on the cheek. Regina turned her head slightly, so they could exchange a proper kiss. She then took a seat and watched Regina work.

"So, how was the comic book store?" Regina asked. She prepared dinner like a pro, not taking her eyes off anything as she worked a knife through what appeared to be chicken breasts.

"It was fun. Was it okay that I bought him that graphic novel? He said he wanted to read it."

"It's fine. Spiderman is a household favorite."

Emma grinned. "Is he now?" Regina was a Spiderman fan and it made sense. Of course Regina would love a character that talked trash, even when he was on the losing end of things.

Regna turned and glared at her for a moment. "Only the comics. Not the movies." Was she serious?

Emma laughed now. _Does Regina think I'm judging her about Spiderman?_ "Well, of course not the movies. This household has some culture, after all!"

Regina glared at her again and it made Emma just want to prop Regina up on the counter, doing unspeakable things to the woman. Unfortunately, their son was somewhere in the house and he tended to pop up at the damnedest times. She was not sure what they would do about him.

"Why can't Henry go to Kathryn's like when you were coming to the capital?" Emma blurted out. Mentally, she groaned. _Thoughts should stay in my head until they're fully formed and ready to come out_.

"She's been too busy to take him, but I'll try to arrange something. If nothing else, I can also ask Graham to take him for a night. They like each other," Regina said.

"Graham?" She hoped she did not sound as interested as she was. "He used to watch Henry, too?" How close was Graham to Regina? She did not want to over-think it, so she hoped Regina explained it.

"Yes, occasionally. Before that, he used to come around and, I suppose, be a male presence in Henry's life after Daniel died."

Emma frowned. "You know he was probably trying to get in your pants." _He better not have succeeded or I'm punching him in the mouth next time I see him, even if he doesn't want to get with Regina anymore_. _Even if he's my new boss._

"I am well aware, dear. He made his intentions known after what he considered an appropriate amount of time for my grief. I was not interested then and am not interested now."

Emma sat up a little taller and smiled to herself. "He gave me the job as deputy."

Regina turned for a moment, glancing at Emma with an arched eyebrow. "Really? Well, I suppose that worked out. Are you sure you want to work with him? He had a crush on you."

Emma gasped. "You knew?" _How did I miss it? Well, beyond the fact that I haven't paid much attention to anyone since hooking up with Regina._

"How could I not? The way he looked at you from the moment you came into town, all like the lovesick pup he is. If you don't mind that, then I'm happy you found a job so easily. Try to be careful."

Emma scoffed. "Regina, this is Storybrooke. How dangerous could it get?"

Regina did not argue that. Emma had looked up the crime rate in Storybrooke after Graham gave her the deputy job and doubted she could find a better position. She would mostly get paid for sitting in her patrol car and harassing rebellious teenagers for hanging around parking lots and writing citations. She just hoped she did not get bored. She glanced at Regina. _Nah, I don't think I'm in danger of getting bored_.

-8-8-8-8-

Henry was in bed and Emma was on the couch. Regina was not sure if she wanted to let loose a bit or share with Emma the news Kathryn had brought to her attention. She decided on the former. There would be plenty of time tomorrow to bring Emma up to speed on how they would deal with her mother. For now, it was time to be a married couple and just enjoy each other's company. They needed a quiet night together and some cuddling.

"Regina?" Emma called just as Regina was about to race to the bedroom. She had promised to watch a movie with Emma, though.

"I'm coming," Regina replied, doing just that. She would need to excuse herself from the movie from time to time to make sure they were doing just that in a couple of hours as well.

As soon as Regina sat down on the sofa, Emma cuddled close to her and started the movie. They had done this before, before they were married. Emma considered it "date night." Regina was not sure what she considered it, but found it peaceful. She was glad to not have to give it up with the shift in their relationship. Of course, she might consider it more of a date if Emma did not have a childish need to always pick gory pieces of trite for this ritual, but that was part of the whole thing.

They had both seen and lived many horrible things in life, but their attitudes toward watching terror on screen were completely opposite. Regina hated such movies, but Emma found them almost therapeutic, laughing at how unbelievable they were and pointing out what would happen if the movie were real life. But, Emma's master plan as always involved these movies because Regina would curl into her and hide her face in Emma's shoulder at the "scary" parts. While Regina was far from scared, she liked to act the part as it was a good excuse to snuggle into Emma, not that she needed one.

This worked to Regina's advantage tonight. She feigned fear a couple of times to leave the room and go set things up in a much more important location. Once that was taken care of, she curled up next to Emma just the way Emma liked and waited.

"That one was just awful. Who thinks of these things?" Emma complained as the credits rolled on screen.

"You say that all the time. I don't see why you enjoy these movies," Regina countered, even though she knew exactly why.

Emma gave her a soft smile. "I dunno. I'd say maybe it's always nice to see someone having a worse day than me, but lately, my days haven't sucked that hard."

Regina smiled. "Thank you, dear. Although, I wish you had a better way with words."

"If I did, I wouldn't be me and you wouldn't love me." With a lopsided grin, Emma leaned over and kissed Regina's cheek. It was wet and sloppy and Regina should have, in theory, pummeled Emma. Yet, she laughed.

"I am wondering now why I do love you, though." Regina shook her head while Emma still grinned. Regina then patted her leg. "Come, let's retire for the night."

Emma's brow furrowed. "Really? It's barely ten. I know you go to bed earlier than I do, but this is early even for you."

"I have some things I want to look over before bed and I would like your company. Is that so much to ask?"

Emma shrugged and smiled. Regina wondered if it was healthy for a relationship for that lie to seem more like the truth than the truth she had set up. Surely a spouse should think they were retiring to bed early to be intimate. _Have I failed this marriage already?_

"Hey, you okay?" Emma asked, wrapping her arms around Regina's waist as they ascended to the second floor.

"I'm fine. Why?"

"Your face is all scrunched up."

Regina shook her head. "Never mind. Come."

Emma did not argue and did not question anything anymore. They slowly made their way to their bedroom. Regina found it difficult to walk with Emma pressed against her, but she did not mind, especially when Emma kissed her neck a couple of times. She eased the door open, revealing a room bathed in an ethereal glow thanks to a dozen flameless candles.

"Regina, what's this?" Emma asked, taking in the atmosphere.

"This is the conclusion of our date," Regina answered with a smile.

Emma smiled against her skin. "I like the end of this date already."

Stepping into the room, Emma kicked the door closed while Regina turned around. They met in a heated kiss and Emma wrapped her arms around Regina, pressing their bodies close together. Regina moaned into Emma's mouth. She missed this burning affection they held for each other.

"Gods-be-damned, I have missed you," Emma whispered as they broke away to breathe. Her hands caressed Regina's sides.

"I'm right here," Regina replied, going in for another kiss. "I'll always be here." Those words seemed to pull a deep, throaty groan from Emma.

"Me, too."

"We have to try to be quiet, though. This isn't a hotel," Regina reminded Emma and gave her a little peck on the lips. Emma nodded, but Regina was skeptical. Hopefully, Henry would sleep through the night like he did most of the time.

Regina attached her mouth back to Emma's, finding she never wanted to leave. Unfortunately, she had to pull away as she yanked off Emma's t-shirt. Emma whined until she realized what happened. The whine turned into a moan as Regina reached out, caressing both breasts, which were still covered by a very boring black bra.

"I forgot how much I enjoyed these," Regina commented.

"How about you get reacquainted with them then? Up close and personal," Emma remarked, putting her hand behind her to release the catch. Her bra fell right into Regina's hands and she wasted no time removing it from Emma's arms.

Seeing supple flesh bare before her made Regina's hands itch to hold Emma. _Why have we denied ourselves?_ She did not have a good reason right now, but it did not matter. They would not do that again.

"Get on the bed," Regina commanded.

"Huh?" Emma's face fell. "No more touching?"

"I have a surprise for you first."

Those words were all Emma needed. She rushed to the bed, fighting to get out of her pants while she did so. Emma almost fell as she jumped on the bed while kicking off her jeans, which got caught on her left foot. Regina chuckled, but she was flattered. _I hope she's always eager for me_. Emma grinned as she made herself comfortable, her back propped up against the pillows.

"Good girl," Regina purred.

Regina grabbed a remote from the dresser and started some soft music. If Emma grinned any harder, she would definitely split her face open. Just as Regina began to sway to the beat and pluck open her shirt buttons to the sound of the acoustic guitar, Emma sat up a little straighter, making sure she did not miss anything.

"This is how they dance in Castia." Regina added flair to her hips as she shrugged out of her shirt. Emma's eyes did not leave Regina's body, especially mesmerized by the roll of her hips, so Regina smirked.

"I thought you didn't know anything about Castia," Emma replied. Her eyes suggested she spoke to Regina's red lace, see-through bra. Regina was happy about that considering she had purposely changed into this bra.

"I know some. One does get a little curious about her heritage, yes?" Regina asked, dragging her index finger down torso. Emma watched her finger as if it was the most important thing in the world.

"Uh-huh," Emma muttered, eyes now on Regina's hips again.

"I speak a little as well, if you want to hear," Regina offered as she slowly pulled down the zipper of skirt.

Emma nodded, even though Regina was sure Emma had no idea what she just said. It was a little impressive that Emma knew she had even said anything. Either way, as she wiggled out of her skirt, she whispered in Castian.

"_I want to make you feel so good, my love_," Regina purred, rolling each word, even though Emma had no clue what she said.

Emma's eyes were riveted and her pupils were blown. She crawled to the edge of the bed as Regina stepped closer. Reaching out, Emma yanked Regina to her.

"Come here, you fucking extremely hot princess," Emma growled, pressing Regina's belly against her. Emma nipped her abdomen, dragging her teeth all the way down to Regina's pelvis.

"I do believe you're the princess here," Regina replied, cupping Emma's face with both hands.

"You speak Castian. It's so fucking hot," Emma muttered, taking another bite of Regina's stomach. "Can you… can you do that for the rest of the night?"

"I could." Regina massaged behind Emma's ears with her fingertips. "If you don't stop."

Emma did not need to be told twice, burying her face in Regina's stomach. Regina moaned as Emma kissed and nipped her skin. Dragging her tongue up, Emma locked eyes with Regina.

"You promised," Emma whispered.

Whimpering, Regina managed to speak some Castian while Emma clutched her ass, pulling her closer. "_Your teeth, lips, tongue, and mouth are like magic. I want you to take me_. _Make me yours, Emma_."

Emma's teeth ran down Regina's stomach and sent shivers down her spine. Moving, Regina crawled onto the bed, straddling Emma's lap. Emma's hands moved from her ass to her breasts.

"You wore this out?" Emma asked, fingers running along the thin material of the bra.

Regina shook her head, even though she had no problem with wearing things like this out. "I changed."

"You should do it, but don't tell me. I wanna just imagine you in sexy stuff and then find out later on if you're wearing it or not."

Chuckling, Regina murmured a promise, but Emma did not understand since it was in Castian. "_I'll wear it every other day and we'll see if you figure it out_."

Emma admired Regina's bra for a few more seconds before removing it for the real treat. Regina threw her head back as Emma wasted no time taking one of her nipples in her mouth, lapping at it with a vigorous tongue. Sparks blazed through Regina's nervous system and her eyes slid close, reveling in Emma's talented mouth. She was brought back to reality when Emma bit her rather hard. A yelp escaped Regina, even though a jolt shot right down to her core.

"You promised," Emma reminded her.

"Oh." Regina had allowed herself to be carried away with the pleasure and stopped talking. She had to think of something to say before she could start up again. She decided whispering sweet nothings would probably be the safest thing to make sure she kept talking.

Regina shuddered with delight as Emma tasted her, nibbling on her breasts. She moaned as Emma's hands wandered Regina's body. It was like Emma was mapping her body with her fingertips. Each spot they moved, they made Regina's body sing.

"_You're amazing, my love_," Regina managed before going back to muttering sweet nothings in Castian.

Emma tried to slip a finger into Regina's panties, but could not get the angle she wanted from the way Regina straddled her. Instead of trying some other angle, Emma shifted and rolled Regina down on the bed. Before Regina could figure out what happened, Emma was upon her, kissing her as if this was the last time they would kiss. Regina wrapped her arms around Emma, running one hand through her hair and using the other to pull Emma closer.

Emma ended the kiss, moving down Regina's body, pulling away from her. Regina whimpered at the loss of Emma's toned body. Emma bit her thigh, earning a yelp from Regina, who then remembered she had promised to speak in Castian and had stopped. Emma rid her of rather useless and soaked panties and kissed her way up Regina's legs. And all hope of talking was gone once Emma reached her destination.

"Emma!" Regina's back bowed and her hands went right to Emma's hair as Emma tongue lavished Regina with special attention.

Emma's response was to lick and suck as if there were no other place in the world she wanted to be. Regina whimpered and moaned as pleasure coursed through her. Tears gathered in her eyes when she felt Emma's finger slide inside of her. Mewing, Regina's hips moved as Emma's finger stroked her. A second finger joined and Regina was almost embarrassed that all it took was a few strokes before it felt like her body exploded in ecstasy. By the time Regina recovered, Emma lay next to her, kissing her neck and caressing her side.

"It's awesome watching you come," Emma commented.

Regina smiled. Something like that would usually bother her, as it seemed rather crude, but with Emma, she accepted it and often looked forward to it. She often wondered what strange thing Emma would say while they made love.

"I'm pleased you like the show. Now, it's time for the encore," Regina remarked.

Emma grinned. "In Castian, please."

Regina chuckled and moved to kiss her. She would have to repeat herself in Castian now. Emma probably would not notice, but Regina made sure to keep their mouths busy for a while just in case. Emma rolled over, flat on her back, pulling Regina on top of her, clearly not wanting to break their kiss, so she could not want to hear Castian that bad.

Regina moved against Emma's body, earning a grunt and a moan. Smiling to herself, she kissed along Emma's face and then took Emma's earlobe between her teeth. Emma squirmed and moaned again.

"_My beautiful heart. My most precious love_," Regina whispered in Castian while her fingers brushed against Emma's bountiful breasts.

Emma whimpered and arched, body wanting more. She also tilted her head a little, like she wanted to hear more Castian. Regina indulged her as she played with Emma's cleavage, kneading her breasts and flicking her nipples with her thumbs. Emma's noises were music to Regina's ears, encouraging and loving. When Regina was about to move down Emma's body, Emma stopped her.

"Stay. Talk," Emma pled.

Regina nodded. "All right." A hand moved down Emma's body, gliding through warm, accepting, wanting desire. "_I want to live inside of you, like this, but also in your heart_." She eased a finger inside and moaned herself as she felt Emma surround her.

Emma wrapped her arms around Regina, hands moving up and down Regina's back. Regina moved at leisurely pace, one finger joined by two and her thumb caressing the center of Emma's joy. Emma moved with her and whined while Regina continued to whisper to her. Every now and then, Regina nibbled Emma's earlobe or kissed her jaw. She sighed as Emma's body caressed her own while Emma tried to keep up with her, chasing her pleasure.

"_You're so wonderful and warm. I love you and how you embrace me. I want to hold you forever_," Regina purred, knowing the sound drove Emma crazy.

It seemed to be all Emma needed to climax, her body clenching around Regina's fingers. Regina groaned at the feeling while Emma arched and spilled out on her fingers. As her body relaxed, Emma hugged Regina close and turned her head, kissing Regina's cheek.

Regina shook her head and moved to give Emma a proper kiss. As their tongues glided against each other, their bodies did the same and their hands leisurely wandered their bodies. Eventually, they needed to breathe and they pulled away from each other slightly. Regina pressed her forehead to Emma's for a moment before nuzzling her neck.

"Have I mentioned being married is awesome?" Emma asked with a content sigh, a hand pressed in between Regina's shoulder blades.

"Not recently, no."

Emma grinned. "Well, being married is awesome. Very, very awesome."

Later, Regina would blame the hormones released into her brain from her orgasm, but she agreed. "Yes, it's very awesome."

"It'd be even more awesome if you grabbed the blanket and covered us."

Regina hissed, but grabbed the blanket to the best of her ability and covered them. Emma sighed and hugged Regina a little tighter. Regina settled, tucking her head against Emma's shoulder.

"Regina, this was nice," Emma said softly, more than likely referring to the atmosphere as well as the sex.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." She would try to do things like this more often. She should romance Emma as much as possible. Surely it would help her adjust and hopefully lower the chances of Emma running. After all, she knew Emma had to be itching underneath it all considering how much her life had changed in such a short time. She needed to convince Emma on a subconscious level that it was well worth it to stay.

"I have to know, you actually left candles up here burning while we were watching that movie?" Emma asked.

Regina scoffed. "Of course not! Do you think I would risk burning the house down with our sleeping son inside? They're flameless candles."

"I have no idea what that means, so I'll just add the 'idiot' here for you and rewind the conversation to point out you said 'our son,' which ranks very high on my awesome list," Emma said with a smile in her voice.

Regina shook her head. "Idiot."

"I told you I had that. Do you think he thinks of himself as our son?" There was a little quiver in Emma's voice, as if she feared the answer.

"Yes, he does." Regina was honest. "When we got married, he was quite happy to have another parent. I still don't think he quite understands what it means for you to be his birth mother, but he definitely thinks of you as his other mother now. In his mind, from what he sees with his classmates, families have two parents around here more often than not. So, he thought it was great to have a complete family when we got married."

"I think it is, too."

Regina nodded. "I have to admit, I enjoy this a great deal as well. I want things to work for us, so I believe I should share with you something I have been hiding." _Boy, this will ruin the mood, but Emma deserves to know_.

Emma sat up a little, needing to look down at Regina. "What?"

"My mother has been attempting to terrorize me over the phone and through emails, ordering me to annul the marriage before she gets really upset."

Emma's eyebrows curled up. "Breaking your arm and your wrist wasn't really upset?"

"No, that was a warning. She's been warning me, but I know it's because she looking up dirt on you and she has threatened to make things public."

"Did she find out I'm the King's… daughter?" Emma gulped. That would be a powerful piece of information, powerful and dangerous in the hands of Cora.

"No, and I think it's best she doesn't. Leopold has that hidden well and deep, but I fear she has always had plots and plans for the royal family once I became a part of it. I don't want her to think she has an in through you or Henry." Her mother's ambitions knew no bounds and she refused to put the most important people in her life at risk. She would let her mother kill her before that happened.

"But, we've got things on her," Emma pointed out.

"I know, which I will present to her." _And I will face her fury. I will never let her get to Emma_. She would personally destroy her mother with her bare hands if Cora dared touch Emma in the same way Cora touched Daniel. Her mother would never hurt her that way again, never hurt anyone she loved that way again.

"You mean, _we_ will present to her."

Regina now moved to prop herself up, needing to face Emma for her to completely understand. "Emma, I don't want you in that woman's path. You saw what she did to me. She would utterly ruin you."

Emma frowned, but wrapped her arms around Regina and pressed her close. "Well, I don't want you to go there and end up in two casts again. So, I'm not letting you go alone."

"I'm not letting you stand before her."

Sighing, Emma rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll drive you there and won't go in, but if anything goes wrong, you have to call me immediately."

Regina sighed as well. She did not like that, but this was a partnership. They both worried about each other. She would not want Emma doing anything proven dangerous alone.

"Fine," Regina agreed.

Emma grinned. "See, marriage even has us working better together, too."

Regina rolled her eyes and settled back against Emma. Emma caressed her shoulder. Regina actually felt better in telling Emma. She would try to be honest with the blond whenever possible.

"Um… Snow's been calling me, too," Emma admitted.

"Have you been taking her calls?"

"Nope. She doesn't approve of us and I don't want to listen to her not approve. She keeps leaving messages, though. She wants to talk," the younger woman spoke those words in a mocking whine.

"Perhaps you should talk to her."

Emma frowned. "Why? So I can hear her tell me how much Father loved you and how horrible I am?"

"While I'm sure she believes the former, I doubt she would say the latter. If you don't talk to her, she'll keep calling you. She's not going to give up," Regina said. She did not know Snow White that well and honestly had no desire to, but what she did know about the girl was that when she thought she was right, she charged forward and never stopped until her point was proven.

Emma sighed. "That's true." They were silent for a while. "You know, she really wants this sister thing between us to work out."

"What about you?"

"Huh?" Emma's brow furrowed.

"What about you? Do you want a sister?" Regina thought Emma would do well with a sister. Emma wanted people, not a lot, but just a little group. Everyone wanted someone to be there for them.

Emma shook her head. "I don't really think about her as a sister. I mean, who the hell meets their sister, who is the same age as they are, at twenty-two? But, I think I would like us to be friends. I'm just not sure if we can be now."

"You should try. Snow wants to be your sister. I don't think she'll give up on you so easily, especially if you explain the situation. It might take her a while to forgive you, but I'm sure she'll get there."

Emma sighed. "That sounds completely plausible."

Regina chuckled. "You sound shocked."

"I dunno. Isn't it a little annoying? I mean, how perfect she is and everything?"

Another chuckle escaped Regina. "I believe the Heir is far from perfect. But, she tries. She wants to be a good person, much like you want to be a good person."

Emma frowned, even though they both knew this was true. Despite Emma's hard life, she really just wanted to be left alone most of the time and generally, when presented with a situation, she would do the right thing. She did this not because she had to, but because she wanted to. Emma was not looking to get ahead. She just wanted to live and enjoy the little things in life if she could.

"Why are you really avoiding Snow?" Regina pressed.

"I guess I just don't wanna bother with her… or stuff. I mean, I got all the family I need right here. I'm good."

Regina caressed Emma's side. "I know this is frightening for you, but how about this – we make it a family day?"

Emma's brow wrinkled as her eyebrows drew in close together. "What do you mean?"

"We all go to Misthaven and tour the Grand Park. Henry would love that and then, while you go have lunch with your sister, I will take Henry to a comic book store or two depending on how long your lunch takes. We can then meet up and see a movie."

"I… I really like that idea," Emma admitted.

Regina smiled, having a feeling Emma would. She would have to plan more family outings for them. They would all have a good time. They needed to start going on real family outings anyway.

"So… Castian?" Emma said. "Can I convince you to only make love to me in Castian from now on?"

Regina laughed rather boisterously. "You wouldn't understand."

"I don't have to understand. It's fucking sexy," Emma remarked.

"What am I going to do with you?" Regina asked, shaking her head. She brought a hand up, resting it against Emma's cheek.

"I thought the plan was to be my wife and let me take you and the kid to Misthaven for a tour. Didn't we just agree to that?"

Regina could only shake her head again. Honestly, what was she going to do with Emma? Well, aside from the things Emma just named. Emma smiled and pressed a kiss to Regina's palm.

Regina let loose a dramatic sigh. "Fine, I suppose I'll keep you." Like Emma said, being married was awesome, but being a family was even better.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Emma sits down with Snow and Regina sits down with Cora.


	11. Family Day

I don't own these characters.

11: Family Day

The Swan-Mills family made the trip to Misthaven in Regina's car. Emma rode shotgun. Apparently, even being married did not mean she could drive Regina's car. She grumbled a little about it at first, about the absolute lack of trust, but quickly got over it when Regina did not bend. Emma would have to figure out some new tricks to get Regina to give into… tricks she could do around their son anyway.

Henry bounced around in the backseat, eager for their family outing. Regina had a ton of car games to keep him busy and distracted, which Emma enjoyed, too. Favorites for Henry included "I spy" and something called "I'm going on a picnic." The depth of Regina's "momness" never failed to shock Emma, but she loved it.

"How the heck do you know all of these car games?" Emma asked, holding onto Regina's free hand. It was nice to know Regina was not such a stickler for the rules that she needed to drive with both hands. "The only ones I know are 'Punch Buggy' and 'That's my car.'"

"There is this thing called the Internet, Miss Swan," Regina teased.

Emma grinned. "Hey, that's Missus Swan-Mills. If you don't get it right, I'll tell my wife. She's scary when she's mad."

Regina tried, but failed, to not look amused. Emma gave her another smile and they went back to playing the game. Emma was a bit surprised that Henry stayed awake and aware the whole trip. He did not do that for her when they went to the apothecary. Regina parked in a garage to avoid the issue of doing the impossible, namely finding a parking spot in the city.

"Are we going to the zoo in Grand Park? I always wanted to go," Henry said, barely able to get out of his seatbelt. The thing almost hit him in the face as he yanked on it. Regina smiled as she got out of the car and opened his door.

"If your Mama doesn't mind," Regina replied, helping get the poor kid out. Henry turned to Emma with wide, hopeful eyes. Emma felt like her insides melted from the look and this notion that she was now Henry's mama.

"You know, I've never been to the zoo," Emma admitted as she got out of the car. It would be nice for her first time to be with her family.

"But, you lived here, right?" Henry asked with a wrinkled brow. He reached out for Emma's hand as they started for the park. _Wow_. She could not believe he just took her hand without prompting, like he did it all the time.

"Yes, I did, but I never thought about going to the zoo. I've been in the park plenty of times, though. I'll show you guys all my favorite haunts," Emma promised. She used to run away in the parks all the time or just go there for quiet moments.

Henry grinned and Emma was certain she saw a little sparkle in Regina's eye. She would enjoy showing them around and letting them know about herself before she went to meet with Snow. Hopefully, it would help her through lunch.

"I can't wait to see the komodo dragons," Henry declared, tugging on Emma's hand.

Emma chuckled, glancing at Regina. "He does know they're not the same as extinct dragons, right?" Regina only smiled.

As it turned out, Henry knew the komodo dragons were different from regular dragons and a lot of other fun facts. Emma was so amazed. How was her kid so smart? And then she looked over at Regina, who was making sure their little adventurer did not climb over the railing to see the polar bears.

"They say the hardest decisions are usually the right ones. I guess that's why giving him up was so hard," Emma muttered.

She did not get much time to think about it before her wife and child were back at her side. Henry took her hand and yanked them both to the next display. Emma smiled and put her free hand around Regina's waist.

"I never imagined the zoo could be so much fun," Emma said.

"Wait until we get to take him to the Museum of Natural History one day," Regina replied.

Thanks to this trip, Emma could imagine. Henry would be like their own little tour guide and know everything about all of the dragon bones, science displays, and diagrams that in the past would have meant nothing to her. She would love every second of it, just like now.

-8-8-8-8-

Emma sighed as she entered the café. She really did not want to have this conversation, especially since she could still be hanging out with her wife and kid, but it was necessary. If not, Snow would just call her forever and all eternity. When Snow saw her, she waved happily and energetically, like everything was fine between them. Emma sighed again and her shoulders slumped, but she marched over to Snow anyway.

It was not surprising that David was with Snow. Emma really did not mind, but she wondered if Snow included him in every aspect of her life. It had not occurred to her to bring Regina to this, thinking it would be an uncomfortable conversation between sisters. Now, it had to be an awkward conversation with an audience. _You know, Regina probably would've enjoyed this. Surely it would delight the sadist in her_.

"I'm glad you made it, Emma," Snow said with a genuine smile as she stood up to hug Emma. The blond sighed, but accepted the hug and returned it as best she could. She would have to get used to hugging, she supposed. _Funny how the thought never crosses my mind when Regina or Henry are in my arms_.

Emma shrugged. "Yeah, I figured I couldn't avoid you forever, you know?" She offered Snow a smile, which Snow returned. They sat down and a waiter practically appeared before them for their drink orders.

"That's good to know. So… how's married life?" Snow asked. The question seemed a bit forced and the smile she still wore seemed a bit forced as well.

Sighing, Emma nodded slightly. "It's going really good. We're still learning about each other and figuring our way around this, but it's good."

Snow nodded. "I always thought I'd get married first."

"Yeah, well, you wanted your summer wedding," Emma teased, giving David a wink. He chuckled and Emma started to think she worried for nothing. _Maybe Snow will be totally cool about this and we can be friends_. Emma did not have many real friends and Snow seemed all right.

"I suppose I could always follow your example and elope." This statement did not have the same playfulness as Emma's, but also lacked any real bite. Still, it seemed like an attack just the same.

"That was necessary," Emma argued.

Snow leaned forward a little with her gaze locked on Emma, clearly judging her with her eyes. "Was it really? I mean, Emma, if you love Regina, you should've talked about this with Father. He loves her as well."

Emma frowned. _And this is why I didn't want to pick up the phone and why I didn't want to come here. Shit, I could be looking at comics with Henry or teasing Regina about her Spiderman fascination_. "Are you still on this? Look, even if he does, which he doesn't, she doesn't love him. She loves me. We're happy together. We're a family and I like it, so let's just drop this."

Snow's face looked like she had sucked on something sour. "But, since when are you even into women? You never showed any indication and you've clearly at least been with a guy if you have a son."

Her frown was now a deep scowl. "You don't know anything about that, so don't even walk down that road." _I really wanna like Snow, but she's making it fucking hard right now_.

Snow put up a hand. "Okay, okay, okay. But, where did this come from? I mean, one second we're making jokes about finding you a guy to marry and then the next you marry Regina of all people. Just help me understand."

"Why? Why do I need to help you understand?" Emma replied. _Who the hell does she think she is? I don't need her gods-be-damned approval._

"Because we're sisters and I want to get you and when Father starts talking about how you acted too hastily about something you don't understand, I want to be able to tell him you do understand. I want to be able to tell him that you do know what you're doing. It's hard to do that, though. I mean, you seemed like you were attracted to men and then you married Regina of all women," Snow pointed out, shaking her head.

Emma did not think any of that was so awful. It was nice to know Snow wanted to defend her, especially to their holier-than-thou father, who Snow looked up to, practically worshiped actually. But, she also did not see the point in explaining herself to Snow. It was her marriage and her family, independent of Snow. She did not ask Snow to explain her attraction to David, after all.

"Look, my sexual attraction…" Emma almost laughed as Snow and David both blushed at the word "sexual." They really were perfect for each other. "My attraction doesn't really hinge on gender. Yeah, my kid's father was obviously a guy, but I was more attracted to his personality at the time than his gender. With Regina, it's the same." Okay, almost the same. Regina was sexy as fuck, anyone could see that. Everything about Regina was sexy, including the body she had been blessed with.

"Gender doesn't matter at all?" Snow asked incredulously.

Emma always suspected Snow was about as straight as could be, which was not something she was used to. _I'd say it's something with nobles and this need to keep the bloodline going, but even Regina curves a bit. Nobody is attracted to just one sex exclusively_. Again, Emma almost laughed because it was funny Snow did not realize Emma was actually the normal one here in this regard.

"No, gender doesn't matter much to me. I'm more about personality and how I'm treated. Regina treats with me respect and I do the same," Emma replied. That was about as simply as she could put it. She felt like she did not owe Snow even that, so more could be ridiculous.

"I respect you," Snow said, very defensive.

Emma chuckled. "Yeah, but there are laws against marrying your sister and you're engaged already." Snow turned a bright red at this and David had to hide his face, undoubtedly laughing behind his hand if the twinkle in his eyes meant anything.

"Oh!" Snow huffed. "Be serious!"

Emma laughed a bit more. "Okay, okay, okay. Look, Snow, this is just the way it is. I love Regina and we've got our kid and we're a happy family. Is that so wrong?" Hell, it felt so good, maybe it was wrong. Nothing that felt this good all the time could be right, after all.

"Of course that's not wrong. You should be happy. I just don't understand why you think this is going to achieve that," Snow said with a wrinkled brow.

Emma had to take a moment from that. Snow seemed to think her marriage would not make her happy, like this was just some plot or just a way to get over. The words seemed almost mocking, like being married to Regina was not supposed to make her happy.

Emma was fairly certain Snow did not mean it the way it sounded, but it still stung. David seemed to realize how bad it sounded because he looked away. Thankfully, the waiter arrived with their drinks and took their orders. It gave Emma even more time to regroup and remain calm.

"Snow, I get you're worried about me and about your dad. But, I didn't rush into this, okay? I know what I want and I know Regina can give it to me," Emma said. Regina could, would, and did make her happy.

"But, I'm sure you thought that before with the guy you had your son with. I mean, I doubt you just had a child with anyone," Snow argued.

"I didn't," Emma replied tightly. She did not want to think about that fucking scumbag. _I was fucking sixteen when I met him. I didn't know what I wanted then_. "Just get that Regina is it for me and I'm it for her."

"But, I'm sure you thought that of your son's father. How can you be sure now?" Snow asked.

"I'm older and wiser? What the hell? Do I ask you about if you're sure Charming here is the one for you?" Emma glanced at David, who chuckled at the use of his nickname. Emma thought it was a rather cute moniker. _I wonder what I can call Regina without her killing me right after_. There probably was no such name in existence, beyond Regina anyway. _But, fuck it, I like to live dangerous and take risks_.

Snow blinked. "Why would you ask that? Of course he's the one for me. It was love at first sight." She smiled.

"Why can't it be that for me and Regina?" _Shit, what if that's not far off?_ It was not so much as love, but she had quickly grown accustomed to Regina's attention. Yes, she understood it was negative attention, but as a child, she had gone for the same as well.

"Because Regina and Father were in love and then there was you and now she's in love with you. I just can't wrap my mind around it," Snow sighed.

Emma sighed as well. "I don't see why you need to wrap your mind around it. Regina was never 'in love' with the King and he was never 'in love' with her. She was being forced to get married. It's basically what would have happened with you and David if you didn't get along so well."

Snow's brow wrinkled and her eyes looked haunted, like the very idea disturbed her. "That's not true," she hissed. "If for whatever reason I didn't get along with David, Father wouldn't have forced the issue. You don't know Father as well as I do and I know you want to think the worse of him."

Groaning, Emma dropped her head to the table, not caring if people looked on. Surely someone thought it was worth listening to the Heir's conversation. It was like walking in a circle, an annoying circle. _Okay, I just gotta get through this and then I get to go to the movies with my family_. Something so simple should not have made her giddy inside, but it did. _And I don't care_.

"Listen to me, as this will be the end of this conversation if we're ever going to go anywhere, I love Regina and she loves me. We work together. She married me for a reason. We're happy," Emma said as she sat up. "I've got a family." Snow would probably never understand how much this meant to her. She just wanted a normal, functioning family. She just wanted to have someone there for her and to be able to be there for someone she trusted. Regina wanted the same. Snow would never know what that was like.

"You have a family already," Snow insisted, pointing to herself.

"Gods-be-damned, Snow, this is a different sort of family. Can I just have this? It's not killing the King and it's not killing you."

Snow reached across the table and grabbed Emma's hand, which had a strange calming effect. "But, I don't want it to hurt you."

"It won't." Emma itched to withdraw her hand, but not because the contact bothered her. She wanted to pull back because she wanted to be able to stay mad at Snow for just a little longer.

"Emma, out there somewhere is the father of your son. He had to mean something to you. What if you just gravitated to Regina because she has a son who reminds you of your own?"

"I love Regina," Emma practically snarled, glaring at the Heir. _Who the fuck does Snow think she is? _Definitely not hard to stay mad at Snow now.

Snow opened her mouth, probably about to put her foot in it, but David managed to stop her with a simple hand to her bicep. Snow glanced at him and he shook his head. Emma took that time to pull her hand back and remind herself that Snow meant well. _I really wish she would work on her execution_. _I mean, gods-be-damned. Why the hell isn't she a better people person?_ People liked Snow, but Emma did not think that the Heir properly connected with them.

Their food was brought to them, which hopefully would provide enough time for the subject to vanish. Emma really did not want to talk about this anymore, especially with Snow being so negative. Besides, the sooner she got this out of the way, the sooner she could see Regina try to sit through the latest Transformers movie. That would be a hoot.

"How's the bacon burger?" David asked, nodding toward Emma's meal. She had a bacon double cheese burger with the works.

"It's good," Emma replied. It was one of the best hamburgers she had ever had. She was actually quite surprised the high quality restaurant even served hamburgers. Of course, the fact that it cost more than everything she had on was something she would have to deal with later. She and Regina were supposed to discuss accounts and money anyway.

"I should've tried it, but I guess there's always next time," David said. He had a delicious looking rib eye steak in front of him.

"If they killed the same cow to make your steak as they did my burger, then you should be fine," she remarked.

David chuckled. "The magic cow." He took a bite and actually moaned. "I'm still going to try it next time."

"Do you guys come here a lot?" Emma inquired. _Maybe me and Regina could start checking out restaurants now that we're done with hotels_. Her heart fluttered at the thought. All she wanted was to do normal things with her wife. _And to think, this whole thing started with me wanting to have dinner with her, like a normal couple_.

"A couple of times. It's a nice little place, huh?" David looked around.

"It is. Do they have places like this where you're from?" Emma asked, even though she was sure they did. She just wanted to make conversation and small talk with David was better than anything Snow offered up.

David nodded. "Different food, but yeah, places with similar atmosphere. I ate out a lot, always looking for a good spot. I'm a sucker for a good steak. I can tell you about almost every great steakhouse from here to my hometown." He chuckled.

Emma laughed as well. "I was like that with junk food spots. I know all the good ones all around the country."

"I might have to go on tour with you. While a burger isn't a steak, beef is my favorite food group."

"Junk is my favorite food group."

Emma and David went back and forth, having a good time. Snow did not seem to mind, smiling as they spoke. By the end of the lunch, Emma felt much better. Snow excused herself while David picked up the whole check. He would not even let Emma see the bill.

"Hey, Emma," David said.

"Yeah?"

"Snow means well, you know?"

Emma nodded. "I know." She knew. She understood, which was why she could walk away from this and not hate Snow.

"I'm glad you're happy. I know what it's like to be swept aside by a parent. It's horrible when people always think every problem you have comes back to this one issue," David said.

Emma arched an eyebrow. "You were swept aside?" As far as she knew David was a massive hero. His country recently got out of a war with a neighbor and he fought as a regular soldier, getting dirty with the rest of the rank-and-file. During more than one battle, David risked his life to save others or take down the enemy. He was practically Captain America, as Henry would say. Maybe he overcompensated, though.

David shrugged. "I'm the younger twin. My father is all about his heir, the great Crown Prince James. It bothered me when I was younger, but I've grown. I'm sure you have to."

Emma shook her head. "This doesn't even have anything to do with him like Snow thinks it does. I just love Regina."

David gave her a little smile, which she knew had to be one of the reasons Snow fell so hard for him. "I get that, too. Sometimes, you don't expect it, but you just fall in love. I was like that with Snow. When I first met her, I actually thought she was kind of obnoxious and she didn't like me much either. The whole 'charming' thing was her being sarcastic. But, as much as we were annoyed with each other, we were drawn to each other and the next thing we know, we're in love."

Emma smiled. "That does sound like me and Regina."

"I think Snow just needs to get used to you being married. You have to take into account, she's still trying to get used to this idea of having a sister. I know you're dealing with it, too, but if you stick with her, I think you'll both be fine."

Emma smiled even more. "David, you're actually pretty smart for a guy who acts like a muscle-head."

David snickered. "And you're actually pretty charming for a girl who acts like a complete misanthrope."

Emma laughed and tapped him on the shoulder. He did the same to her. She had entertained ideas of leaving while Snow was gone, but David was right. Snow had a lot to deal with, just like she did and Snow was doing the best she could. Emma had to give her that and give her time. So, when Snow came back, Emma did not make a face when Snow pulled her into a hug.

"We should do this again sometime," Snow said.

"Yeah, you're right. How about you call me?" Emma replied.

Snow leveled her with a stern look. "You'll pick up the first time rather than trying to dodge me?"

"I will," Emma promised with a nod and a half-smile. She left on that note, needing to get back to Regina and Henry. She was not surprised to find them both with bags; Henry's full of comics and toys and Regina's full of clothes. "And where are those going to fit in the closet?" Emma teased.

"Oh, you're assuming they're all mine and that they need to be hung up," Regina remarked with a smirk. Emma was not sure how to take that and decided to just turn her attention to Henry before her mind went to places it did not need to go while she was in the middle of the street.

"Mama, look!" Henry went in his bag and whipped out this comic. "Mom found this Emma Frost comic for my X-Men collection!" Henry jumped up and down.

Emma let out a pretend gasp. "She did, did she?" She threw Regina a wicked smirk. Regina actually blushed and Emma had to bite back a groan. Thankfully, it all went by Henry. "Okay, how about you put that back in the bag so it doesn't get messed up?" she suggested.

Henry gasped and his eyes went big, the thought of his precious comic being harmed was too much for him. But, then again, he was only seven, so he pretty much shoved the book back in the bag, Undoubtedly bending it. Emma put her arm around Regina.

"You got a thing for bad girl blondes named Emma?" Emma teased in a whisper.

Regina smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Oh, but I already do," Emma replied. Before they could say anything more, Henry turned to them and interrupted the moment.

"Mom said we're gonna go to the movies now and then have dinner. It's gonna be awesome," Henry grinned, taking his mom's hand.

Emma smiled because of his energy and his use of the word "awesome." Regina gave her a look. She just smiled more.

-8-8-8-8-

Regina massaged her temples while Emma snickered behind her on the bed. They were in for the night and dressed for bed, even though they probably would not sleep for a while. Regina because of her headache and Emma was a night owl. Regina had on a slip while Emma wore nothing more than a tank top and bikini briefs.

She wanted to smack Emma upside the head to get her to stop laughing, but the movement would not help her headache. After a few seconds, the laughter stopped and gentle hands mimicked her own against her temples. She dropped her hands and Emma continued on, situating herself behind Regina. Regina leaned back with a sigh.

"I can't believe the movie actually gave you a headache. Are you like a sixty-year-old woman or something," Emma teased.

Regina wanted to growl, but it came out more as a moan. "3-D doesn't agree with me."

"You didn't have to put on the glasses, especially considering the little speech you made about the germs and everything. I thought you were going boil Henry's glasses before you let him put them on." Regina had given all of their glasses a thorough wipe down with hand wipes she carried in her purse whenever she had Henry with her.

Again, she wanted to growl, but at least this was more of a groan than the other noise. "I don't want him to get some skin condition. I didn't want you to get one either. I'm sure you'll thank me when your face doesn't break out."

Emma chuckled. "I'm sure I will. I guess it doesn't make sense to ask you if you liked the movie."

Regina frowned. She paid attention to the movie, despite the fact that she disliked it. Henry thoroughly enjoyed it and she was used to him wanting to talk about movies they watched together, so she needed to be ready to discuss it. But, Emma was here now, so maybe she would not have to suffer through this again.

"I thought it was cute when you and Henry were talking about the movie. He has no idea you hate the Transformers, huh?" Emma asked, still massaging her temples.

"Why would he? I want to be involved in the things he likes, even if I don't understand them."

Emma kissed her neck. "You're an awesome mom. My mother rarely talked about things that interested me. Did yours do that?"

"My father."

"It's good you had someone who was there for you."

"You didn't have any adult like that in your life when you were growing up?"

"Well, I had a foster mother who was pretty cool for a couple of weeks, but then she turned out to be bat-shit crazy. I thought Henry's father would be cool, but he turned out to be an ass."

Regina's brow furrowed. "Why would you list Henry's father… Oh, dear Fae, Emma, Henry's father wasn't some creepy thirty-year-old who used you was he?" She wanted to turn and look at Emma, but those magic fingers were just too good on her pounding head.

"Says my thirty-year-old wife."

"Yes, but you're twenty-four now. You were only seventeen when you had Henry."

Emma sighed, but scooted a little closer to Regina and continued her massage. "I don't want to talk about that right now."

This was probably something big that she and Emma should have discussed before getting married, but even now she was not sure if Emma would ever fully talk about it. She would not begrudge Emma this. She understood how hard it could be to share.

"I'm going to go see my mother tomorrow," Regina said, leaning against Emma. Feeling Emma against her back drew a content sigh from her.

"That's pretty sudden." Emma moved a hand and massaged the small of Regina's back. It was surprisingly even better than the head rub.

"I figured after talking you into meeting with Snow, I could meet with my mother. I know what I want to say to her and we have what we need," Regina pointed out. She wanted to get it out of the way and she was sick of her mother's harassment. Besides, the more time she let it hang out there, the more time her mother could plot something against Emma. She would not lose Emma.

"I know you don't want her to see me, but I'm driving with you, okay?"

"I know." Part of her was happy to know Emma wanted to be close to her, wanted to protect her, but she feared for Emma. Daniel wanted to face her mother as well. It did not end well for him.

"I won't go in, though. I promise."

Regina patted Emma's leg. "Thank you for making that promise."

"I know. But, eventually, we will meet in-laws and such, right?"

"I've already met my in-laws and I have to say, I won't lament never having to share space with them. And, your life will be much more satisfying to never have to see my mother, let alone share space with her."

Emma laughed again. "It's about sharing space with you. It's always about sharing space with you."

Regina smiled and leaned against Emma even more. Without stopping her massage, Emma leaned down and kissed Regina's neck and shoulder. Regina sighed in contentment.

"This feels so good," Regina murmured.

"I want to treat you like a queen, Regina. My queen."

"A queen who cooks for you and does your laundry?"

Emma laughed. "Well, my queen is clearly very special. I was just trying terms of endearment on for size."

Regina chuckled. "I would prefer you not."

"I figured as much. But, I wanted to try." Emma nuzzled her. "My love."

Regina smiled. _I'll take that one_. She did not say anything, though. Emma would figure it out. Somehow, Emma always figured it out, figured _her_ out.

"What if I call you what the rest of the town calls you?" Emma teased.

Regina turned just enough for her wife to know she was glaring. "If you ever want to make love again, I'm sure you'll reconsider."

Emma chuckled. "Harsh." She added a little more pressure to Regina's back, earning a couple more noises from Regina. "But, something tells me if I keep up these massages, you'll let me call you whatever comes to mind."

That might actually be the truth, but there was no way in hell Regina could let Emma think that. "Do you want to take that challenge?"

Emma seemed to think about it for a long moment and then wisely did not respond. Instead, she kissed Regina's neck and pressed a little firmer against Regina's back. Regina decided to enjoy the massage rather than antagonize Emma further, even though it was fun. Still, the massage was better and it helped relieve her headache.

Eventually, they cuddled up together for sleep. Regina tucked herself against Emma, who assured her everything would be all right. Regina wanted to believe that, but from the way sleep did not come that night, she knew Emma had missed the mark. Her stomach turned the whole night.

-8-8-8-8-

Regina looked behind her as she marched into her childhood home. She had to make sure Emma did not follow her. Emma was foolhardy enough to do it, after all. A servant led her to the tearoom where her mother sat with Zelena, both of whom were having tea. The servant scurried out of the room like a scared mouse and honestly Regina wished she could follow. Somewhere, in some alternative universe existed a Regina who was supremely confident and could stand against her mother and her sister. Unfortunately, this was not that universe.

"Mother." Regina gave Cora a slight bow. "Zelena." She said the name in a curt manner.

"Regina." Cora and Zelena spoke in unison and almost like they were in competition to see who could say it with the most contempt.

Regina tapped a briefcase she held with her thumb. Her stomach turned like it did all last night, but she managed to keep a cold expression on her face. Cora nodded toward the empty seat and Regina sat.

"So, Regina, am I to assume your presence means you have finally come to your senses and decided to stop this idiotic, childish behavior?" Cora inquired, moving to stir her tea slowly and menacingly.

"I'm not quite sure what behavior you mean, Mother," Regina answered. Internally, she preened because she sounded just as calm and collected as her mother. She sat up a little straighter, not that she needed to.

Cora arched an eyebrow and slowed her stirring. "Really? So, you'll remain married to this peasant? Or at least try to?"

"I will do just that and Emma is not a peasant. I have a counter to your proposal," Regina said.

"A counter?" Cora ceased her stirring and gently placed the spoon down on the side of the saucer. She then sipped her tea.

"Yes." Regina popped open her briefcase and laid a manila folder out on the table. She slid it to her mother.

"This is your counter?" Cora asked, putting down her tea. She picked up the folder and opened it.

Regina watched as her mother flipped through the papers. She noted a twitch of her mother's lip. Cora was possibly fighting off a frown or trying to control herself to not slaughter Regina during afternoon tea.

"What exactly is this, Regina?" Cora demanded, glaring at her youngest child.

"It's exactly what it looks like, Mother. Shall I spell it out?" Regina countered, trying her best to not to look or sound smug. Surely her mother would strike her down if she actually sounded like she had the upper hand. Still, it felt good to be the one in control of the situation for once.

"Regina," Cora said her name in a way that was such a warning, it made Regina's skin crawl. Okay, it might be too early to celebrate. There was still a huge chance of Cora turning her into a blood stain and leaving just enough of her to fit in a tea cup.

"Mother, I assure you, no one will see this as long as you leave my relationship with Emma alone," Regina said, all business. Her mother would respect that. Hell, maybe her mother would respect being outflanked. _Yes, and maybe I'm crazy, too_.

"Regina, you have a chance to become the Queen. You have a chance to have millions of people bowing to you. Why would you choose this?" Cora hissed with a mocking wave of her hand.

A small smile made its way to Regina's face without her permission. "I love her."

Her mother leveled her with a heated glare. "You foolish girl. You would throw all of this away? Love is weakness."

Regina had grown up hearing that phrase. She had believed it for a long time. Hell, still believed it to a degree, but not in the way her mother meant it. Love had to be weakness because losing her father and Daniel had almost ruined her. And, if she lost Emma, she would never recover. Beyond that, she suffered on a daily basis as she continued to inexplicably love her mother and sister.

"Mother, that is your opinion, but this is fact." Regina tapped the table. "You leave me and mine alone and this never gets out."

Cora chuckled. "Regina, we both know you would never do this." Her mother did not believe she had a killer instinct, at least not when it came to her. It went back to the whole "love is weakness" thing. Cora knew Regina loved her and it gave Cora power over her, but not any more. Regina loved Emma and Henry more.

"Mother, do not push me. I will not lose my wife and I will not let my son lose his mother. I will not. I will wage war for them and I will not lose," Regina vowed in a fierce tone, hoping her eyes conveyed the message better than her words did. Maybe she could not stand up for herself, but she would move Heaven and Earth for Emma and Henry. She would walk through Hell for them and she definitely would ruin her mother for them.

Cora stared at Regina for a long time and then waved her away. Regina was dismissed. She kept her composure and rose without tripping over herself. This was what victory looked like – her mother sipping tea and trying not to scowl. Surprisingly, it looked just like defeat, but Regina had won. If she had not, she would either be in pain or divorcing Emma. _I won! Take that, Mother_.

Before she could get out of the house, Zelena flanked her, catching her just as she made it to the front door. Regina did not want to have any conversation with her sister, but apparently it was going to happen.

"Regina, what the hell are you doing?" Zelena demanded, practically stomping up to her side.

"What do you mean?"

"Mother went through a lot of trouble and she got you engaged to the King. The gods-be-damned King! You could rule the entire country and yet you're throwing it away. Are you mad?" Zelena shouted.

Regina shook her head. "I am far from mad. I don't expect you to understand."

"First that filthy horse farmer and now some smelly bounty hunter. What is with you and the lower classes?" Zelena curled her lip in disgust.

Regina shook her head. Lower classes? Their mother was a miller's daughter if Emma's research was to be believed and Zelena's father was a gardener. Yet they always seemed to think they were above everyone else. Regina could not even call herself a princess without considering how it would be taken and how she would be torn to shreds in both Castia and the Enchanted Forest for daring to think such a thing. But, none of that mattered.

"Zelena, I don't think I can explain this to you. I love Emma and we have a wonderful family. We do things together and enjoy each other's company. We help our son with his homework, watch movies together, and play games. We're a family and it is a good family. I don't expect you to understand it," Regina replied.

Zelena's gaze narrowed on her. "You really are a foolish girl."

"I shall continue to be so, but at least I will be happy. Good day, Zelena." Regina turned and left. When she got into the car, she wrapped an arm around Emma and pulled her into a kiss. Emma moaned and actually tried to pull her over into the driver's seat. Regina saved that idea for later, but remained in the passenger seat and settled in as they broke the kiss.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?" Emma asked with a long sigh.

"I love you and you make me happy," Regina replied. Emma grinned.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Emma's past shows up and shakes her.


	12. Stroke of Bad Luck

I don't own these characters.

12: Stroke of Bad Luck

Regina woke up to Emma perched between her legs, kissing her bare thighs. Purring, she stretched a bit and slid a leg onto Emma's shoulder. Emma glanced up at her and smiled like the cat that got the cream.

"I thought for a second whatever you were dreaming about was better than me," Emma commented.

"And what made you think that, dear?" Regina asked, looking down at Emma with partially closed eyes.

"Well, before I got to my final destination, I paused at my favorite twins and, yeah, you moaned a lot, but you didn't wake up." Emma reached up, caressing Regina's bare breast and flicking a puckered nipple with her a thumb.

Regina chuckled, it was deep and scratchy from sleep, and ran her hand through Emma's hair. "I was actually dreaming about that. Well, that and last night, of course."

They were finally getting into a rhythm from what Regina could tell. In the few days since Emma switched jobs and spoke with her sister, not to mention Regina confronted her mother, they had made love every night. Regina made breakfast every morning. Emma now picked Henry up from school when she could and spent time with him in almost the same way as she used to when she passed through the town. They seemed to be turning into a normal, average little family. This was everything Regina wanted. She hoped it met Emma's expectations as well.

"Emma, you are a dream come true," Regina whispered before she realized it. Once it was out, she figured this was fine. She could tell Emma these sorts of things.

Emma smiled and moved up, kissing Regina sweetly. Regina wrapped her arms around Emma, holding her close. She wished she could hold her there forever, but a glance at the clock told her she would not even be able to hold Emma for a minute.

"Emma, unfortunately, it's time to get up," Regina sighed.

Emma groaned. "Damn it. I had my mouth all ready for you and I can't even get to you tonight because damn Graham gave me the night shift. Apparently, it's the shift most of his part-time deputies avoid."

Regina frowned a bit. "Try not to mention Graham when you're on top of me and we're both nude."

"Oh." Emma shuddered. "Good point."

"We can have lunch, though," Regina suggested and made sure to give Emma the most heated look she could manage.

Emma groaned and nodded. She then let Regina up after another kiss. Regina went to wash her face and put some clothes on before going off to make breakfast. Everything was ready by the time Henry and Emma made their way down. Emma was in her pajamas, but Henry was dressed and ready for school. They sat down and Regina served them. They talked about everyday things, what Henry had to do at school, what Regina's day would look like, and what Emma planned to fill her time with since she was stuck with the nightshift now. It was quaint and Regina loved every single second of it.

Regina could only wonder why something this domestic had not been enough for her mother. Why had her mother pressed for her to marry royalty, to be queen, instead of just being happy? She doubted she would ever know, so she pushed it from her mind. There were things to do, after all.

Henry was sent off with lunch and then Regina went to get dressed. Before she left for the office, she made sure there were items in the kitchen for Emma to make a snack if the urge came over her. She also made mental notes for grocery shopping later. She would see if Emma would do it if she texted her a list. It might be a good chore for Emma. Before she got out of the kitchen, Emma was on her back and kissing her neck.

"Love, do you think you could go in late?" Emma asked, hand sliding to Regina's stomach. She pulled Regina close to her.

"And why should I do that, princess?" Regina countered. Emma seemed hell-bent on pet names, so Regina would claim this one. She needed Emma to know she was a princess, not the King's bastard, not some child her mother allowed to slip away, but someone precious, amazing, and worthy of all the love in the world.

"I'll make it worth your while," Emma whispered, pressing Regina to her as tightly as possible and nuzzling her.

"You have fantasies, don't you, princess?" Regina purred. She could practically hear the dirty thoughts in her wife's head. She wished she had the time to indulge in those fantasies, like back when they had been sneaking around in hotels.

"So many, Regina. So many." Emma growled, hand sliding down. A finger played with the helm of Regina's pants.

"Well, beyond the obvious, how about you hold onto those and tell me over lunch. I will come home and you can tell me all about it while you press me against the wall…" Regina paused and pushed back against Emma, which Emma whimpered against her neck. "Or you could take me on the counter…" Another groan and Emma ground against her. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? Me spread for you on the counter, palm against the cupboard and the other hand gripping your head, helping me keep my balance, but also making sure you stay right where you want to be?"

Emma groaned deep in her throat and nipped her earlobe. "Gods-be-damned, Regina." She licked Regina's neck.

"Save it for lunchtime, princess. I have work," Regina said, easing away. She did not need to show up at her office with a love bite on her neck.

"No! What the hell? You can't just do that, Regina. Do you know what the hell is in my head now?" Emma turned to her with begging eyes.

"Raw carnal pleasure with me in this kitchen, which I will give you. At lunch." Regina kissed Emma's nose and then walked away.

Emma screamed through gritted teeth. "You are so evil, woman!"

Regina only laughed and made her way out of the house. She had work to do, after all. She would definitely text Emma the grocery list. It might help keep her mind off of lunch for a while.

-8-8-8-8-

Emma grumbled as she wandered the grocery store, needing to kill so much time before noon. Images of Regina on the countertop plagued her thoughts. _Oh, maybe I'll take out my cock again. She needs to see I really can use that thing. Besides, she might ride me again if I do_. The idea alone made her giddy and giggle. Passersby had the nerve to look at her, but she ignored them. What the hell did they know? They never had a naked Regina on top of them, after all.

"Oh, chips. I wonder if Regina knows anything about making nachos," Emma mused as she grabbed a bag of tortilla chips. "Maybe even burritos." Emma texted Regina to see if those were in her wheelhouse and also because she knew food questions during work hours would annoy Regina. _Teach her to get me all worked up and then not take me for a spin_.

While checking the list to see the next item, Regina sent back a text. "When you do something to deserve burritos or nachos, you'll know."

Smiling, Emma rolled her eyes at the words. "Of course she'd say that." She took a moment and hit Regina back with, "I bet I do something to deserve 'em this afternoon."

She could imagine Regina scoffing and then smirking. She picked up a gallon of milk and yogurt while she was in the aisle. Her brow furrowed as she saw the next item. She scratched her head.

"Why the hell does she need so many different types of cheese?" Emma decided not to think on it. She would not be able to figure it out. The most she ever used cheese for was sandwiches and that was usually plain American cheese. The fanciest she got with cheese was cheddar for eggs and string cheese for when she needed a snack.

While searching for the cheese, her phone alerted her to another text. "You talk a big game, Swan, but you would have to really impress me for me to want to contribute to your dietary suicide."

Emma shook her head. "I wonder if Regina ever thinks she gets paid by the word. Of course, I'd pay her by the word if she spoke nothing but Castian," she muttered to herself. Never before had a language sounded like the meaning of sex and love.

Shaking her head to rid herself of that thought, Emma went back to shopping. She focused on shopping, if only to get it out of the way. Plus, she could imagine Regina going nuts wondering why she had not texted back. After all, she was the serious texter between them. Regina was much more old fashion, preferring to have actual phone conversation. If Emma could avoid talking on the phone for the rest of her life, she would.

She was also not a fan of grocery shopping, especially not with a list as long as Regina's, but she wanted to pull her weight around the house. She would rather this than doing the dishes. At least with this she could sneak some junk food. While Regina was not a complete health nut, she ate healthier than Emma was used to, even with spending tons of time around Regina.

With everything picked up and bagged, Emma paid for the stuff and then handled the irksome task of loading it all into her car. It was bit surprising that everything fit in the Bug. Once that was done, she pulled off. She toyed with the idea of going to _Granny's_ and bugging Ruby for a few minutes, but that could wait until after lunch. Ruby needed to get ready for the rush anyway and it would be rude to totally distract her. But, since it was on the way, she figured she would at least warn Ruby she would be by later.

Just as she pulled up to the diner, she saw the oddest thing at the B&amp;B portion of the business. It looked like Neal walked in. The thought alone made her heart jump into her throat. This needed further investigation, if only to save her from having a stroke.

Parking the car, Emma hopped out and skulked around, needing to get inside without being spotted. She preferred the thought of hiding in plain sight. Pulling her hood over her head, she leaned down and untied the laces in her boots. She wanted to look like a punk kid and then she just walked right through the lobby. And, _shit!_ It was Neal. _What the fuck is he doing here? _And how long did she have before the stroke started?

Emma rushed out of the B&amp;B and jumped behind the wheel of her car, waiting to lose feeling in her left arm. She panted, unable to get control of her breathing. It was like she was drowning and her lungs burned for more air while it felt like hot pins lived in her chest.

Part of her wanted to confront him, but she could not cause a scene now. She had to control herself. She was a deputy sheriff and married to the mayor. It would not do to kill her ex-boyfriend in the middle of a very popular establishment in what was now her town. No. She needed to regroup and plan how she would handle this. _I need to get a handle on this_.

A knock on her window caused her to jump and she turned to see the last person she wanted to see, causing her heart rate to increase. _Okay, not a stroke. A heart attack and, of course, his would be the last face I see before I die_. _Why do the Fates have it out for me?_

"Neal, what are you doing here?" she demanded, glaring at him as hard as she possibly could.

He gave her that smile, the one that talked her into robbing convenience stores and lied to her about starting a family. It was charming and boyish, lighting up his eyes. Once, it made her heart thump and her stomach flutter with what she thought was love. Now, it made her want to vomit and she felt dirty.

"I saw the Bug. I can't believe you kept it," Neal said, looking over the car.

"That doesn't explain what the hell you're doing here, in my fucking town," she growled. _I hope he tries an old con so I can arrest his ass_.

"Your town?" He looked around and chortled. "Quaint. Never figured you'd be some place like this."

"Yeah, well, you don't know me, so," she sneered at him.

He chuckled and shrugged. "Ah, I don't know about that. I know I haven't been able to keep up with you for the last few years, but I doubt you changed much. I wouldn't mind getting something to eat and catching up."

"Not on your life," Emma stated. "I need to get going, so watch out." _Or I just might run your ass over_.

She did not even give him a chance to step all the way back before she peeled off, well as much as her car could peel off. Distance did not cause her heart to stop beating as if it was trying to escape her chest. Her lungs still burned and felt burdened in doing their job. Taking deep breaths, she wondered if she was having a panic attack. She was not sure why. _I could take that jerk. Why the hell should I be bothered? What the hell? _

Despite her thoughts on being able to handle Neal, she did not turn around. She rushed home and went inside, almost feeling like she should hide, until she recalled the groceries. She went back outside to gather those. She looked up and down the block, needing to make sure Neal had not followed her somehow. Once she was sure the coast was clear, she brought the bags inside.

Moving on automatic, she went to put things away, but realized she did not know where anything went. Suddenly, it felt like the world collapsed in around her and her throat felt like she swallowed acid. Her chest heaved as she panted, staring around the kitchen. Her chest felt so tight and it was like no matter how much air she took in, it was not enough.

"Why the hell don't I know where anything goes?" Emma sobbed, pulling at her hair. She had lived there for almost two months and she did not know where anything went! She had visited countless times before that and still had no idea where the groceries went. _I'm a horrible wife. Regina is gonna leave me, just like everyone else!_

"Emma?" She heard her name called, but it sounded garbled, like she was underwater, which made sense to her because it felt like she was drowning. "Emma." Arms wrapped around her and she heard a familiar heartbeat by her ear.

"Regina?" When the hell did Regina come in? And when the hell did she get on the floor? She was crumbled on her knees and Regina held her against her chest.

"What's wrong, princess? What happened?" Regina's voice was so low, soothing, and hearing her heartbeat, which was just a little fast, relaxed Emma somewhat. Emma wrapped her arms around Regina desperately and held onto her for dear life.

"I didn't know where any of the groceries went," Emma bawled.

"Oh, princess, that's nothing to fall apart over. It's solved quite simply. You can watch me do it or you can put things where you feel comfortable. We can then work it all out later."

"I don't want you to leave me because I don't know where anything goes and I bought junk food when I was shopping and you can find someone better."

Regina moved both hands to cup Emma's face. She made Emma look at her and lowered herself to be face-to-face with Emma. She gently stroked Emma's face with one thumb.

"You don't really believe that. You know we're both in this for the duration. Death is the only thing that will take me from you. _No one_ better will ever come along. After all, who else but you could talk me into defying the King and committing treason and nearly committing suicide by acting against my mother?" Regina pressed her forehead to Emma's. "Only you, princess. Only you."

Emma sniffled. "You say that now." Everyone left. There was always someone better. She was never worth the effort.

"I say that _always_. You are everything I want and need in a partner. I would walk through the netherworld for you if I had to, face the Dark One head on, and spit on the dead gods if they dared keep you from me. I would tear this and any other universe apart should the Fates decide to take you from me. You will _always_ be my one and only."

No one had ever spoken such words for Emma. Neal had been full of pretty lines, or at least seemed so at the time, and convincing words. But, Regina seemed almost poetic, even though she was not trying to be and probably did not think she was. The words touched Emma like a piece of art, though, deep inside and in a way she could not explain. Sniffling a bit more, she managed to stop crying and allowed Regina to wipe away her tears.

"How about you go sit at the counter while I put these things away and then I make us some lunch?" Regina suggested.

Emma could only nod. She doubted she could manage anything beyond that right now. She felt like the mess she was sure she looked like. She did not have anything in her to argue with Regina, anyway. So, she went to the counter and watched, learning where things went. She was certain Regina purposely went slow and made sure she saw every label before the item went to its appropriate place. While watching, she pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to fight off a headache.

"Headache?" Regina asked almost as soon as Emma made the move.

Emma grimaced. "Yeah." There was no reason to lie. Regina had already seen her go through something much more embarrassing.

"Go lie down on the sofa. I'll bring you something for it."

Again, Emma could only nod. Moving, she flopped down on the couch and closed her eyes. She opened them when she felt Regina sit down next to her. She groaned when Regina tried to pull her up.

"Come on. I want you to take this painkiller and then eat. I'm sure it'll help your headache. I hope you're not getting sick," Regina said.

"I'm not. The day's just not going my way," Emma replied. She took the pill and then noticed lunch on the coffee table. "You made me a grilled cheese?" A grilled cheese and fries, to be precise. She wondered if she sounded as childlike to Regina as she did to her own ears, but Regina did not mention it.

Regina shrugged nonchalantly. "I believe it's considered comfort food. Besides, Henry enjoys them when he's sick. I thought you might be the same."

Emma offered Regina a smile and then bit into her sandwich. Of course it was not a regular grilled cheese, but Emma could not identify the different tastes. _Maybe this is what she uses all the different cheeses for_. While she doubted that was the case, she did not care. The sandwich was good and when she felt better, she would ask Regina about it. For now, she just quietly ate and let the warm food and caring company lift her up.

Regina did not say anything, just sat there and rubbed Emma's thigh. The movement was soothing, like everything else Regina had done. As soon as her sandwich was gone, Emma leaned against Regina and curled against her. It was a bit weird. She was used to Regina cuddling into her, but this was nice. _I can see why Regina does this_. It felt safe, like she was wrapped in a cloak of Regina. Regina put her arm around Emma and caressed her head along with her thigh.

"You meant all that stuff, right?" Emma asked quietly.

"Of course I did. Again, who else could get me to commit treason, Emma? Treason. Only the worst crime in the history of all nations. Name one other person who could talk me into treason, please."

Emma laughed a little. "Well, Henry, obviously. But, after him, no one." _Wow. Yeah, Regina did do that for me. She didn't leave. She stood by me and committed treason with me. Wow_.

"And again, I stood up to my mother for you. I couldn't even do that with Daniel. He wanted to tell my mother and I almost died from the mere suggestion. You come along and I'm having an affair while engaged to the King of all people and then marrying the person I'm having an affair with and telling my mother I'm not getting an annulment while she's breaking my arm with illegal use of magic."

"That is pretty big." Bigger than Emma knew she would be able to imagine, but everything seemed like that for her and Regina. They did things for each other they would not do for anyone else. _This is why I love her_.

"You make me happy, princess."

Emma smiled. "You make me happy, too. I get scared that one day this will all be gone, just like whenever else I've been happy."

Regina hummed. "Yes, I know the feeling. Happiness is fleeting. It comes and goes on the wind. This is deeper than that, stronger than that. We will last and endure because we both understand that loss."

"United in tragedy." It was hard to accept that was their bonding agent.

"No, my love," Regina said, gazing at Emma as if she were the most precious thing on the planet. Emma felt like she fell in love with Regina all over again in this moment. "But, we have gained understanding of each other through pain. We were able to connect through that at first, but then it became so much deeper, so much stronger. We're united in love," Regina said, her eyes backing up her words.

_Okay, that is much better than tragedy_. "I've only loved two people my whole life. Romantic love, anyway. You and Henry's father."

"It's the same for me, but in this case Henry's father being his adoptive father Daniel. We both understand love isn't an emotion or even a word to throw around."

Emma swallowed, hoping to keep her throat from tightening. Her chest felt like it was about to go back to the way it was before and she might end up panting again. A deep breath and slow exhale kept the panic at bay for a moment longer, just enough time to tell Regina what was wrong.

"I saw Henry's father today," Emma said, her voice strangled by her emotions.

"Henry's father?" Regina arched an eyebrow.

"His biological father." Just the thought of him made her stomach twist and she curled in closer to Regina.

Looking slightly puzzled, Regina glanced away for a second. "You saw him in town?"

Emma nodded. Regina held her close and caressed her arm. Emma nuzzled Regina. The smell of her, expensive perfume on top and apples and cinnamon just underneath, relaxed Emma despite the fact that Regina felt somewhat tense against her.

"Why is he in town?" Regina asked, her voice tight. She continued caressing Emma, even though she probably could use a little of it herself now.

"I dunno."

"Does it have to do with Henry?" Regina's voice trembled there.

"I doubt it." Emma sat up just enough to look Regina in the eye. Those beautiful brown eyes looked haunted. "He doesn't know about Henry."

Regina sighed, relief flooding her gaze. "But, if not for Henry, then what?" And then her eyes went wide again. "You. He wants you back."

Rolling her eyes, Emma scoffed loudly. "That's not gonna happen. Happily married woman, after all." She managed a little smile.

Regina nodded and leaned down, pressing her forehead to Emma's. Emma liked this little contact. It was like Regina wanted to merge their thoughts and make sure they were on the same page. _Does Regina even know she does this little move? _Emma would only bring it up if it stopped.

"He unnerves you, though."

"He's a jerk," Emma grumbled. That was putting it mildly.

"Will you tell me why?"

Emma moved, just to rub her face for a moment. Regina probably was the only person she would ever even think to share this with and Regina deserved the story anyway. She knew all about Regina's lost love, not to mention her unwanted engagement. She might as well let Regina know about the rest of the baggage she came with.

"When I met him, I was sixteen. I ran away from home. He was… older."

Regina studied her face. "How much older?"

"He's older than you are."

Regina's eyes narrowed and Emma knew Regina well enough to know she was plotting mayhem and destruction already. "Did he take advantage of you?" Regina's voice was practically a growl.

"Not in the way you're thinking, no. We had fun together. I met him stealing a car he already stole."

Regina shook her head. "Of course. Only you would steal something already stolen."

Emma chuckled a bit. "I guess it is my luck. But, yeah, and after that, we just went on a conning and stealing spree. It was little things. Just enough stuff to get us through the day or the week or something like that. I don't think either of us were made to be big time crooks… well, I didn't think so at the time anyway." He did at least one thing big, after all. "We entertained thoughts of settling down somewhere, starting a family."

"Two years down the line since you were that far from the age of consent," Regina pointed out, sounding tense once more. Emma had a feeling Regina considered this a pretty big crime. She wondered if it was just because it was her or if there was something more there. Maybe it had something to do with Regina almost being forced to marry a man old enough to be her father.

"Well, I wasn't thinking about that and I doubt that was on his mind. Besides, I like to think I was mature for my age." Emma sat up a little taller.

Regina scoffed. "You were only a teenager. Of course, _you_ thought you were mature. You think you're mature now."

Rolling her eyes, Emma waved the comment off. "Anyway, we were talking about how we could have a good life if only we had the money and then he brought up the fact that he stole these watches before we met. He said he had like twenty of them and they were all worth at least a thousand dollars. But, he couldn't get them because everyone knew he stole them since he worked at the place he stole them from and the police probably knew where he stashed 'em, so if he got caught with them, he'd go to jail."

Regina groaned. "Emma, please, tell me you didn't."

"I was sixteen!" Emma threw her hands up for a second. "I wasn't thinking. I mean, I was thinking, but I was thinking the wrong thing. The police weren't looking for a girl. They were looking for him. I figured they wouldn't think anything of it if I went to the locker and grabbed the bag. So, yeah, I picked 'em up."

"And went to prison for grand larceny." Regina knew all about her prison stint after investigating her when she first arrived in Storybrooke acting like a crazy person.

"Yeah, and ended up in prison for three years."

Regina frowned. "Three years. This has bothered me for a while. That's a rather stiff penalty for a first offense and a juvenile. I would've made a deal, especially since you were caught red-handed and we suspected an employee was responsible for the actual burglary."

"Well, there were a bunch of other charges. I mean, we did go on a little petty crime spree for a while. Plus, I never gave him up. I mean, I loved him. The judge thought three years in prison would straighten me out or at least make me give up Neal. He was right about the first thing, but still, I had Henry in jail and Neal disappeared."

"Did he have possession of some of the watches? Were you a decoy for him to disappear? Did he use you to get the police off of his trail?" Regina asked, brow slightly furrowed.

Emma shrugged. She never thought about it, always assuming she had all of the watches. Why wouldn't she have all the watches? "Hell if I know and I don't even care. He vanished, completely gone. He never called, never wrote, never apologized. He just let me take the fall for the watches. He left me the car like that made up for everything he did."

Regina scowled and pulled back some. "The car? You mean the Bug?"

"Yeah."

"Your sleazy ex-boyfriend left you the Bug and you kept it, even though he set you up, abandoned you, and left you to rot to prison?"

Emma had a feeling she was in shaky territory. It had to look weird for her to keep the car, but then again, what else did she have? Nuzzling Regina, she hoped her wife could feel what she was going through.

"I was still a kid when I got out Regina. Twenty, alone, with nothing. I had lost everything. This was the only thing I had to my name, the only thing I had left of this guy I thought I loved with all my heart. He was gone, my baby was gone. What was I supposed to do?"

Regina sighed and caressed Emma's cheek. "I understand. Did he get any of the watches from you?"

"No. I got caught with all of them."

Regina nodded. "But, was it really all of them?"

"Huh?" _She really thinks he got away with some of those watches and just left me to take the heat off of him. Neal wouldn't have done that… would he? But, then again, I didn't think he'd run off the second I got caught either_.

"Sorry. I'm thinking like a lawyer. I'm trying to figure out why he framed you for this crime. He couldn't get the watches you were caught with, so I'm again wondering if you were a decoy. Maybe you had just enough of the watches for them to not bother with him anymore."

Emma shook her head. "I really don't care. I just want him gone."

"I understand, princess. How about we discuss this later tonight? It will give you a chance to get your emotions in order," Regina suggested.

"My emotions are in order. I fucking hate him," Emma growled. Of course, if her emotions were in order, she would not feel like she was about to fly apart.

"Then, maybe get your emotions under control. I think we should discuss this when you have a clear mind."

Sighing, Emma nodded. They remained cuddled up until Regina had to go back to the office. Emma was not sure what to do with herself after that. She was not sure how she would be able to work the nightshift now. She felt like a complete and utter mess. At least Regina did not make her feel worse about it. _But, I guess this is why I love her_.

Thinking about Regina, she thought about how she felt with Neal all those years ago. It was completely different. Neal was a hurricane of fun and excitement. Regina was a storm in her own right, full of passion and fire, but there was more to her than that. Regina was also calm and soothing. Maybe Neal had been those things, but Emma could not remember. She did not want to remember.

"I just want him gone," Emma sighed. She wanted him out of her life forever.

-8-8-8-8-

Regina sat at her desk, her concentration on work nonexistent. She was focused on this Neal person. Why was he in Storybrooke? Was he after Emma or did he know about Henry and just did not tell Emma? How he had found Emma in the first place? This did not smell right, but she could not figure out just what it was. But, she was certain his presence had to do with her wife, son, or both, and this was not some happy accident for him.

"But, what is the set up? What could he want?" Regina pondered. "Surely he had to know his presence would not be welcomed by Emma if he simply vanished from her life before and left her jail, yet he just reappears here. Is this a game and if so, what is he playing at?" She and Emma would find out together, if only to settle her poor princess. She did not want to see Emma break down like that ever again. "I'll destroy him if he hurts her again."

Beyond that, she felt like Emma needed to stand up for herself. This man obviously used and hurt a child, left a bright red scar on her that she still bore, and now could be trying to manipulate her again. Emma had to handle this or she might never get over it, but Regina knew she had to be there. Emma needed to see Regina was there for her. They truly were in this together.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Emma starts the night shift with Neal poking around while Regina starts to look into Neal, hoping to figure out what he wants.


	13. Waking Dream

I don't own these characters.

13: Waking Dream

Dinner was done and Henry was in bed. It was time for Regina and Emma to talk. After that, Emma would be off for the night shift. Regina was not sure how much she liked the idea of Emma working nights, the eleven to seven shift, but she knew why Graham did it. There had to be some hazing of the new guy. She would try to make more room in the budget for another couple of deputies. She preferred this to having a bunch of part-timers just showing up whenever they needed an extra few dollars, especially when they were the ones dictating their hours. The fact that it would help Emma get off of the night shift was a bit of an incentive as well.

"Are you feeling better?" Regina asked Emma as they settled on the sofa. The television buzzed in front of them, the news turned almost all the way down.

"Better, yes, but still confused about what the fuck Neal is doing here." Emma frowned and rubbed her forehead.

Regina felt bad for Emma, as she was so clearly troubled. She settled against Emma, putting her arms around the blond. Sighing, Emma put an arm around Regina's shoulder. Regina pushed herself up a little, kissing Emma's cheek. It would help soften the blow of her suggestion.

"Maybe we should just sit down and talk with him," Regina proposed.

Emma drew back and looked at Regina as if she suggested they should have a threesome with him. "Talk with him?" The horror in her eyes and voice was beyond serious. 

Regina arched an eyebrow, even though she understood Emma's reluctance. "Well, how else do you propose we find out what he's doing here?"

"He's staying at _Granny's_. Maybe I could just get Ruby to interrogate him."

"I'm sure she could, but you may want to face him head on." He clearly left a mark on Emma and Emma probably should deal with that.

Emma twisted her mouth up. "I don't think I want to face him head on. I just want that bastard out of my life. I don't want him to mess up anything else for me." She pulled Regina a little closer.

"Emma," Regina breathed, understanding all too clear what Emma was truly afraid of. "He can't mess _this_ up."

Emma scowled, like she did not quite believe that. "He already stole three years from my life. What else could he possibly want?" Her voice trembled slightly and cracked at the end.

Sighing, Regina caressed Emma's arm with the hope of comforting her. "That is the million dollar question, is it not? We won't know unless you ask. I think it would serve us best to know if he is aware of Henry or not. We also have to figure out how to play this out with Henry."

Emma's brow furrowed and she stared at Regina. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Henry hadn't known he's adopted and then you did show up making sure he understood you were his birth mother. And while I'm still not certain he completely understood what you meant, he knows I didn't carry him and you did. I'm sure you have some inkling as how curious he can be and how once he gets something in his mind, he wants it explained as thoroughly as possible. Don't you think he'll have questions about his father eventually?" Regina pointed out.

"You're not going to freak out over that?" Emma's brow wrinkled even more as she studied Regina.

Regina rolled her eyes. "Why? I've already had to deal with one drunk, entitled biological parent. I'm now a pro in this." Well, she thought anyway. She would be able to handle this. It would not be too bad… right?

Emma cut her eyes. "I wasn't drunk the whole time."

Sucking her teeth, Regina rolled her eyes. "You were drunk enough of the time. But, the point is, eventually, Henry will have questions, which he will probably direct toward you. You're going to have to tell him the story eventually."

"Why me?" The pout would have been cute if only she were not serious.

Regina glared at her. "Because it's your story. How could I possibly tell Henry about his biological father?"

Emma nodded. "Okay, okay, okay. I just thought we were a team."

"We are. You handle this, I'll teach Henry how do his taxes."

"You make a point there. You might have to teach me to do my taxes. I don't think I've ever actually paid taxes."

_Again, I only just now realized how__much work I have to do with Emma_. Regina could acknowledge she was damaged, but only because she felt like Emma was more damaged than she could ever be. _Which is amazing_. But, she understood now. Emma did not know how to be an adult because she had never seen how adults behave. Basically, Emma was doing her best by making it up as she went along, which she did a fine job of. _I'll have to let her know she's doing well_.

"We'll worry about that later, but I'll make sure my accountant gets to you before you're hauled away. Makes no sense to beat treason charges, but end up in jail for unpaid taxes. Now, back to the problem at hand."

Emma sighed. "I'm going to have Ruby dig first and then I'll talk to him."

"I can be there when you talk with him if you'd like."

"Would you?" Emma's eyes were wide.

"Yes, princess, I would. As you said, we're a team. We're in this together. So, just as you drove me to my mother's home, I will be there with you if you chose to engage with this Neal person."

Emma smiled, her entire face brightening. Regina leaned over and kissed her. She went off to work with a smile. Regina felt fairly good about herself, especially considering her son's biological father was now wandering her town. This was troubling, but more because of what it was doing to her wife than what it could do to her son. She feared this could destroy her beloved.

"But, we have to resolve this before this man finds out about Henry and takes it upon himself to introduce himself to Henry," Regina muttered with sigh. To beat out a headache she was sure would come, she went and had a tumbler of cider.

When she adopted Henry, she had not considered his biological parents might show up at any point. She assumed if someone gave up a baby, they would never come back for it. Why give a baby up if you wanted him back, after all? Of course, she understood it a little better now than she did when she first adopted Henry. If Neal was anything like Emma, things could prove annoying.

She always thought if Henry ever wanted to meet his biological parents, she would help him search for them… after finding out why he wanted to meet them anyway. She thought he would be much older as well. Of course, she thought he would be older because she expected to explain to him about his adoption in better detail when he was older. Also, she would be able to prepare herself for such a discussion. Emma had blown that out of the water, which was fine now.

Henry seemed to take things well with Emma, once they got into a more normal routine anyway. She could not see that happening with Neal. Of course, she could not see that probably because she doubted she would fall in love with Neal like she did with Emma, so Neal would not be around like Emma was. Neal would not become a fixture and part of their family like Emma did.

It definitely did not help to know Neal was older than she was, but had been with Emma as a teenager. In her short stint as a prosecutor, she had sat across from a lot of petty criminals, much like Emma had been. Neal seemed like something more, something worse, something grimy, and she did not mean that in the sense he had stolen thousands of dollars worth of watches.

"I think I want to meet this Neal just to memorize his features before watching him suffer," Regina decided. No one hurt her princess, even if it was years before they met.

-8-8-8-8-

The night shift was as boring as Emma expected. She could see why none of the part-timers went for this shift. She drove around, parked a couple of times just for a break, and then drove around some more. No one was out, though, not even rebellious teens. Passing a couple of clubs, the singles and twenty-somethings were inside, but not hanging out on the streets. Things picked up when her cell phone chimed in with a text message. It was Regina.

"Love you, princess," the message read.

Emma smiled and shot back another text. "Luv u bak." She was tempted to add her own term of endearment, but the spelling alone would drive Regina nuts. Regina definitely would not find a nickname cute after that. But, with a smirk, she decided to go another route and let her thumbs type out a very important question. "What r u wearing?" _Oh, she's going to kill me_. But, it would be worth it if Regina answered before hand.

She was surprised when her phone chimed a few seconds later. She thought she would be scolded for trying to be naughty or even reprimanded for murdering written language one word at a time, but she was in for a pleasant shock.

"A towel from my shower," was the reply.

Emma had to take a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Oh, boy. Why the hell didn't I try this before now?" She stared at the screen and had to seriously stop herself from asking why the hell Regina was showering past midnight.

Regina was probably lying and just trying to keep her entertained, which she appreciated. So, for a long moment, she let images of a wet Regina play in her mind. A groan escaped her and she shifted in her seat. She was glad no one was around to hear it.

"Okay, don't panic. Type something back," Emma muttered, eyes searching the night to take her mind off of Regina in the shower. She thought on it for a moment and then let her fingers fly. "Could I talk you into taking the towel off?"

Regina's response was almost instant. "What would you give me for the towel?"

Emma exhaled and patrolled a bit longer before replying. "My mouth if you want it. My tongue if you want it more."

"You drive a hard bargain, deputy. You may have my towel."

_Is Regina really about to sext with me?_ Even with evidence right in front of her, Emma could not see that happening. Surely this was just a ploy to help get her through the night. She was right.

"I have to sleep now, princess. Be safe and don't do anything silly. Henry and I would love nothing more than to see you in the morning," Regina texted her.

Emma sighed, but a smile settled on her face. Those words were actually better than sexting. She was cherished by at least two people in the world. So, yeah, she had to stay up all night and somewhere in town her ex was waiting, but Regina and Henry were there. Whatever Neal had planned, he could not take Regina and Henry from her.

Emma managed to stay up throughout her entire shift. Halfway through, she ate some food Regina packed for her. Around six-thirty, Regina called her. She smiled. _She's thinking about me_.

"Hey, babe," Emma answered her phone.

"What have I said about calling me 'babe'?" Regina huffed.

"You love it and you know it."

"I detest it and you know it. Stop trying to be cute. It fails on many levels where you are concerned."

Emma rolled her eyes. _Paid by the word_. "You still wearing that towel?"

"Oh, I slept in it," Regina purred.

"Were you really wearing just a towel last night?" Of course, Emma knew if Regina confirmed her suspicions, it would kill the fantasy, so she did not really want to know.

"Wouldn't you like to know? I'm calling about breakfast. I know you're more than likely going to fall asleep the moment you get in, but I wanted to know if you wanted breakfast or not? Should I just make you something light for when you wake up in the afternoon?"

Emma smiled again. "I'll try to eat breakfast. I want to talk with Henry a bit while I have the chance."

"You can talk to him after school, you know. He'll need help with his homework and everything."

"Yeah, but I still wanna see the kid this morning. So, yeah, I'll take some breakfast." She felt like she should be able to keep her routine with Henry, even with this stupid nightshift.

"Very well. See you when you get home, then. I love you."

"Love you, too."

"Really? Then maybe you'll spell out the whole phrase when you reply in a text."

Green eyes rolled and Emma held in a laugh. "You're going to give me crap about my spelling in a text? Maybe you should learn to text-speak."

"I'd rather not contribute to the death of the written word."

_Yeah, especially when you're paid by the word_. They disconnected the call and Emma went to clock out a little while after that. Graham was getting set for his eight-hour shift, drinking coffee as he flopped down at what was supposed to be her desk. She did not mind since she had not used it yet.

Their sheriff department was tiny to say the least. Emma often wondered what happened when Graham was not on duty and did not have someone working part-time. What if there was an emergency?

"Graham, who takes over from three to eleven if you work seven to three and I have eleven to seven?" Emma asked.

"If the operator can't reach us for a serious emergency and there's no part-timer on, the nearest car from the next town over will respond or provincial troopers if they're around," he explained.

This sounded overly complicated to her and it also sounded like it could cost them valuable minutes in an emergency. "Has that ever happened?"

"Nope. Honestly, there's not much happening in town on anyone's shift. If something happens in the afternoon when no one is around, I'm easily reachable and usually one of the part-timers will respond, even if they're not on. It's just good to have things worked out in case something like that does happen."

Emma nodded. "You have it all worked out, huh?"

"For a long time, I had to. Before Regina was elected, the last mayor swore we didn't even need me. He spent a lot of time trying to get troopers to be our dominating police force. People didn't like that idea, though."

"Why not? What does it matter who's doing the policing? People are safe, then people are safe." She shrugged. This seemed like a huge no-brainer to her.

Graham stared at her for a moment and then laughed, shaking his head. "You really need to study up on this if that's your question. In fact, I'll probably make you take the test for this job if that's the question."

"There's a real test for this job?" Emma could not believe it.

"Emma, there's a test to work at the post office in most places." He sipped his coffee.

Emma winced. "Is there really a test for this job, though? I mean, will I have to take a test?" She sucked at tests.

He chuckled. "We'll hold out on it for a while. Once we get you properly trained. Now, back to your question."

"Yeah. What does it matter about who's doing the policing?" She really wanted to know.

"Provincial troopers are extensions of the Crown and while no one has problems with the King really, there's always the thought that the person who takes over might not be so magnanimous or the Royal Governor could be changed and his use of the troopers might not be ideal or, hell, even the Noble Senators could use the troopers in their territory any way they might want to. While, me and you, we're public servants. The people voted me into office and our jobs depend on pleasing them to make sure I get voted back in. Sheriffs and deputies just tend to have better relationships with people through that alone."

Emma nodded. "Oh, I guess that makes sense." Maybe she should learn more about the government. "Well, I gotta get going. Breakfast at home is probably cold now." As soon as the words left her mouth, Emma winced. She did not want him to think she was rubbing in the fact that she had Regina… or Regina had her… or whatever way this thing went that could possibly bother him.

"Enjoy," Graham said with a genuine smile.

This was the one thing Emma utterly loved about Storybrooke, everyone seemed so cool and accepted life, even when things did not go their way. Apparently, Graham was not bitter in the slightest that he did not get Regina or Emma. He was still her friend. Things were not even awkward around them.

Fishing in her jacket pocket for her keys, she felt like she might actually start whistling. Then, she looked up and the world crashed in on her. Neal leaned against the Bug.

"What do you want?" she asked, not bothering to hide her sneer.

"I was hoping we could talk," he said.

"About what?" she demanded, glaring at him as hard as possible. She wished looks could kill right now, even if it meant jail time for her. _Why won't he just go away?_ "What the hell are you even doing here?"

He gave her a shy smile, like that was supposed to soften her. If anything, it only outraged her further. She wanted to beat him with a baton she did not even have, if only to get that stupid puppy-pout off of his face.

"I'm not sixteen anymore. That look won't work," she said and she was not sure if she was trying convince him or herself.

He laughed, like it was all some game. "How about I take you to breakfast and we talk," he suggested, still smiling like a jackass.

"I got breakfast waiting for me at home," she replied in a clipped manner, making her way to the driver's side door.

He looked at her from over the top of the car. "Well, what about lunch?"

"Neal, I just got finished working the night shift, do you really think I'm gonna be up during lunch time?" She planned to be passed out in the luxurious bed surrounded by ridiculously comfortable sheets until she picked up Henry from school.

"Okay, how about you call me and tell me when you are free?"

"How about you drop dead?" Emma countered. It sounded like a good idea to her.

He sighed and gave her a tired look, like she should give a damn. "Emma, don't be like that. At least let me explain what happened."

"What the fuck could you possibly say that justifies you letting me go to jail for three fucking years?" she demanded, slamming her hand on top of the car. She was not sure, but she must have raised her voice at some point because Graham came out.

"Is there a problem?" Graham asked, charging over to the scene.

Neal glanced at the sheriff. "Not at all, sir. Just trying to talk to my girlfriend."

Emma did not even have time to be offended by that as Graham laughed. "Your girlfriend, really? I'm sure her _wife_ will have questions about that."

Neal turned back to Emma so quickly, she thought his head might spin off of his shoulders. "Wife?"

"Yeah, I'm married." She made sure to flash him her ring. "So leave me alone." It was nice to know he did not know that bit of information, so maybe he was in town to harass her. But, how did he know she was in Storybrooke? Why bother her seven years after the fact?

"Look, Em, I still want to talk," Neal insisted.

"I believe she said leave her alone," Graham said, staring Neal down. Neal's eyes were stuck on the badge on Graham's belt.

Emma took the chance to make her getaway. She would have to thank Graham later, maybe with a coffee or that horrible beef jerky he and Ruby were addicted to. For now, she put Neal out of her mind, just wanting to get home.

The mayoral mansion never looked so good than when she pulled up to it that morning. She wanted to collapse in bed. She only wished she could do it with Regina pressed against her, but at least she would be able to see Henry and Regina before she fell asleep.

"Emma!" Henry cheered as she walked through the door. He charged her and threw his arms around her. She melted in his embrace, rubbing his back as she returned the embrace.

"Emma? Who's this Emma person?" she teased, holding him tight. She picked him up with no problem, holding him like a toddler.

"I'm sorry. I missed you this morning, Mama," he explained with a smile. By the gods, his smile could take away any weary feelings she had.

She squeezed him again. "I'm sorry, too. I think I'll be on the night shift for a while, kid, so I'll be here a little late in the morning."

He pouted. "Okay, but you're not gonna leave, right?"

"Leave? And go where?" Her heart clenched a little, upset he thought she might leave him or his mom behind. _I have to do right by them, no matter what happens. I owe them that much for letting me, letting me fill spaces in their hearts_.

He shrugged, not knowing, but still fearful. She hugged him again and ran her fingers through his hair. He put his arms around her neck and held her tightly for several quiet seconds.

"I'm not going anywhere, champ. It's you, me, and your Mom until you move out for college," she promised and then tickled his side for good measure, if only to get the somberness out of the air.

Henry giggled and pushed out of her arms. He trotted back to the dining room and Emma followed after she managed to get her boots off without falling flat on her face. Suddenly, she realized how tired she was. She had been up for almost twenty-four hours and while it was not the first time, it was draining. But, Regina's smile when she went to the kitchen sort of pepped her up just enough to make it through the morning with her family.

"Hey, love," Emma said before leaning down for a kiss. She smacked her lips together when she pulled away. "Bacon?" She licked her lips. That was definitely bacon. Bacon and Regina. For a moment, she let a very dirty thought drift through her mind, but she knew it would never happen. _Let that one go_.

"I made some for later. I wasn't sure if you'd want breakfast or lunch when you woke up," Regina explained, moving around the kitchen.

Emma grinned. _This woman is awesome and she's married to me and never leaving!_ It was a cause for celebration, but she did not have the energy at the moment.

"There's sandwich meat in the refrigerator if you want lunch." Regina motioned to the fridge. "The bacon is done and the bagels are out if you want those." She pointed to a plate with by the sink, which was covered, but definitely bacon. "You'll have to make your own eggs, though."

Emma nodded. "I can do that. For now, let's go eat breakfast with Henry." 

The trio sat down for simple oatmeal. Henry talked through it, which was fine by his mothers. He was excited about today being "game day" in his class. The students spent the whole day playing games while the teacher met with each other in a conference at her desk to discuss their grades, how well they were doing, and what they needed to improve in. Emma wished they had a wasted day like that when she was in school.

"Teachers conference with kids now?" Emma asked as they waved to Henry from his seat on the bus. They stood on the porch.

"Sounds utterly professional, doesn't it?" Regina countered with a slight smile.

"Yeah, but what the hell can you conference about with seven-year-olds? I mean, seriously?" 

Regina shrugged. "I can barely conference with grown men, so don't ask me. Hmm… maybe I should interview the teachers at Storybrooke Elementary. I'm sure if they can get good results with the children, then they might have tips of dealing with men who act like children." They stepped back inside, closing the door behind them.

Emma chuckled. "Come here." She pulled Regina to her, pressing Regina's back to her front. She leaned down and nuzzled Regina, breathing in her scent. "I missed you last night."

"Oh?" Regina gave her one of those dark laughs. "I thought you missed my towel."

Emma snickered. "I got your towel, so I couldn't miss that. And, look at you, Madam Mayor, being almost naughty and nearly sexting."

A half-smirk danced on Regina's face and it was damned sexy. "Yes, well, there will be no more of that. It was just a treat."

"Aw! But, why?" Emma pouted. She would like to sext with Regina one day. Maybe even do some phone sex. It would be fun.

"Because text messages can be retrieved at any point and I do not wish for someone to make light of my relationship with you, be it for a scandal or just a news story." Regina turned around and looked Emma right in the eye. "You're special, Emma. You're precious to me."

Emma knew Regina meant it. She also knew Regina would keep saying it, implying, maybe even beating her over the head with it, until she carried it with her always. She did not mind.

"You're everything to me. You and Henry," Emma stated.

Regina smiled and caressed her cheek. "I know. Now, I have to go to work and you should get to bed. I'm sure Sheriff Humbert will have you working this shift straight for at least a month."

She groaned, not looking forward to that in the slightest. "Is this some sort of hazing ritual or something?"

"Nothing of the sort." Of course, Regina's smile made that a little hard to believe. "But, if you could get out of it, wouldn't you? At least for a little while, even at the expense of a friend?"

Emma ran a hand through her hair. "Okay, you got me there. I guess I should go to bed then. Oh, before I forget, though. Neal was waiting for me after work."

"Did you talk to him?"

"No, I really just don't think I can handle it right now." Thinking about it, she might not be able to handle it, _ever_. Seeing Neal sent her into a panicky rage. "I don't think he knows about Henry. He didn't even know I was married until Graham blurted it out."

Regina's brow furrowed. "Why would Graham need to blurt it out?" 

"I think I was getting loud and Graham came outside to see what was going on. Neal claimed he and his 'girlfriend' were talking and Graham said how my wife would be interested to know I was someone's girlfriend. Anyway, Neal was surprised I was married."

"And to a woman, too."

Emma chuckled. "I'm sure that was a bit of a kick in the crotch for him. He just seemed like he wanted me, though. I don't think he knows about Henry. Maybe." She could hardly focus on much around him to really figure out what he knew.

"Take your time in finding out. Don't stress over it, all right?" Regina kissed her cheek.

Emma smiled and leaned down for a proper kiss. And then, Regina was gone. She was alone to deal with Neal. Not that she wanted to think about him. She just wanted the bed and when she touched down, all thoughts flew out of her head. She was asleep within seconds.

-8-8-8-8-

Regina sat at her desk again, focus renewed. She did not trust this Neal person, but she was looking him up. She already had information and it was quite disturbing. Sleazy did not even begin to cover what the man was.

"I hope she doesn't have any other ex-boyfriends like this in the works," Regina mumbled, even though she doubted Emma had any ex-boyfriends, or exes point blank, waiting in the wings. She remembered at the start of their little affair, Emma made it quite clear she did not date. If she recalled at one point, Emma even insisted she did not "do relationships." Regina chuckled. "And now she's married and it was her idea. How much can change in a year."

Now, they needed to work on holding their marriage together. They had already beaten the King and her mother. Surely driving away Emma's grimy ex should not be too much of a problem. She hoped Henry never wanted to meet this man.

"Of course, on paper, Emma doesn't look much better," she realized, but then quickly shook that away. "No. Emma is infinitely better. She did not seduce and betray a hurting teenager, after all."

But, she could see glimpses of Emma in these reports. Her heart constricted a bit. _Is Emma like him? Did he succeed in molding her into his image even if they haven't seen each other in over seven years? _Shaking her head, her mind assured her Emma was nothing like him.

"She loves me. He doesn't love her," Regina said aloud. She then turned her attention back to work. The summer was approaching and she needed to get the town prepared for their "summer rush." People came to camp in the woods surrounding the town and do other outdoor activities, feeling it gave them a feel for the "old days," back when magic was rampant and fairies existed.

-8-8-8-8-

The night shift would be the death of her, Emma was certain of that. Usually, she barely needed six hours of sleep to function through the day, but for some reason getting eight hours of straight, uninterrupted sleep left her feeling more groggy and dazed than four hours of light, tense sleep ever could. She would need to talk to Graham about it because if a few days had her feeling like this, she would seriously be dead before the end of the month.

"Mama, you're not drinking your milkshake," Henry pointed out. They were in _Granny's_.

Emma decided to treat Henry to some junk food and comic books since he was such a good sport about her working the night shift and not being around much in the morning anymore. He really did not notice she was gone since she was awake when he came in from school and she stayed up with him the whole day. In this regard, the night shift was actually the better shift for her, but her internal clock just could not get it together. Besides, she wished she had the morning shift because it would give her a chance to spend more time with Regina, especially sleeping with the mayor beside her.

"Sorry, kid. I was just thinking," Emma replied, sipping her chocolate shake.

"You were falling asleep," he accused her.

She let out a dramatic gasp and put her hand to her chest. "Was not!"

"You fell asleep at the table this morning," he snickered.

She could not deny that one. It was only for a couple of minutes, but she had almost passed out right onto a stack of waffles. Although drowning in butter and syrup had a bit of an appeal, she would rather live to see Henry go to junior high.

"Look, Mama, there's a regular fry in my curly fries." Henry held up the imposer and giggled. "I bet Miss Ruby tried to sneak it there, thinking I wouldn't notice."

Emma laughed. Henry was so cute. There were so many times where she could not believe this kid came out of her. His adorable paranoia reminded her of Regina. She would have probably made the same accusation, except she would have been serious about it. Well, Henry was serious, too, but in a funny way. It was at this thought she realized she needed more sleep or more coffee. _Yeah, I probably just need more coffee in my life_.

Just as she was about to get more coffee in her life, the bell rang signaling a new arrival in the diner. She would now need more alcohol in her life. A lot more alcohol.

"Emma!" Neal rushed over. Somehow, he had found the time to bother her every single day since arriving, claiming he wanted to explain what happened and how sorry he was. She did not buy it for one bit, especially since he never actually said "I'm sorry."

"Please, kill me now," Emma groaned under her breath as Neal marched toward them. Yes, she would like to see Henry go to junior high, but some levels of humiliation and aggravation were just too much.

"Hey, Emma." Neal smiled as he stood before her and then he glanced at Henry. "Who's the little bit?"

"I'm not a little bit," Henry declared with a frown, quite insulted. He sat up a little bit taller with his shoulders squared, even though he already had good posture. Emma wanted to smile. He certainly was his mom when he put his mind to it.

Neal laughed. "Cute kid. You watching him for someone?"

"No." Emma was as curt as possible. She wanted Neal gone now. The last thing he needed to know about was Henry. He would use the kid as an in and who knew what kind of damage he would do after that. "Come on, Henry. We should get going."

"But, I still got more fries and you didn't finish your milkshake," Henry pointed out, a bit distressed.

"We'll take 'em to go. Ruby," Emma called. She had not even asked Ruby to keep an eye on Neal like she planned. She supposed she had just been hoping he would go away on his own.

"Wait, wait, Em. You don't have to go just yet. Let's talk," Neal insisted, reaching for her. She jerked her arm way out of his range.

"There's nothing to talk about," Emma snapped. She stood up and practically yanked Henry out of the booth. She picked him up and was about to literally run out of the diner, food be damned, but Neal grabbed her by the arm.

"Is that my kid?" he asked in a low whisper.

Emma froze. The world shattered around her. He knew. He knew and she felt doomed.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Emma finds herself galvanized in this fight against Neal.


	14. Horns

I don't own these characters.

14: Horns

Emma paced the living room while Henry sat in the den, oblivious to her distress while lost in his new comics. She was slightly impressed by him being able to read them by himself at the age of seven. Her reading skills had been quite dismissal in her early years, but she knew Henry's reading capabilities came from the nurturing he received. Regina read to him often and said she had done so since he first came into her life. No one had ever read to Emma and reading had not really been important to her until she turned to crime.

She was thankful for the off-tangent thoughts until she heard the door close. The sound sent a chill down her spine. Her heart was in her throat now, but she moved toward the noise anyway. Catching sight of Regina slipping out of her shoes, Emma opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Regina turned to her and must have seen something in her eyes because she rushed over like there was an immediate emergency.

"Emma, princess, what's wrong?" Regina cupped her face with both hands, rubbing just behind her ears. The move relaxed her somewhat.

"He knows," Emma's voice cracked.

Regina squinted a bit, trying to understand. "Who knows what?"

"Neal. He knows."

Regina's eyes stared at her with care and compassion. She wondered how many other people got to experience Regina's patient side. She hoped no one else got to experience Regina's thumbs gently stroking their cheek or fingers rubbing behind their ears, though, except maybe Henry. It felt good and private and something that was just between them.

"Neal knows about Henry," Emma whispered with a sniffle.

"It's all right, my love. What does he know?" Regina asked gently.

"I don't know. He just asked if Henry was his kid and I panicked! I ran out of _Granny's_ so fast I forgot to pay the check! Thank the Fates I know Ruby or I'd have to arrest myself!" Emma practically shouted. She almost pulled away, but Regina followed her as she moved.

"Shh. Calm down, princess. Calm down." Regina leaned in and gave her a soothing peck on the lips.

"He knows. He'll ruin everything." Tears slid down Emma's cheek.

"No, we won't let him. So, please, calm down." Regina continued to rub behind her ears and stroke her face.

Emma took a deep breath and did her best to stop crying. _When did I become a crier?_ As long as she only did it in front of Regina, it was fine. "I feel so crazy."

"I'm sure you do. Your sleep pattern has been disrupted and now you have this on your plate. You're still trying to get into a rhythm here. It's a lot, I know. It's okay to feel frustrated and stressed. It's okay," Regina spoke low and leveled tone. She placed another soft kiss to Emma's lips. "You're doing well, princess. So well."

Emma sniffled again. "I like when you call me that." She felt like she should hate it. She hated it whenever Snow or Leopold brought it up, but when Regina said it, it felt different. She knew it was not "princess" in the "your father is the King" sense. It was "princess" as in "you deserve to be treated like you're amazing and special because you are to me."

Regina gave her a tender smile. "I should hope so. You're my princess."

"So, why can't I call you my queen?" Emma asked, just to be cheeky and try to get things back to normal. She even forced out a grin.

Scoffing, Regina rolled her eyes and pulled away. "If you find you must."

"Oh, yeah, you make it sound like you're so in favor of that nickname." Emma doubted she would ever get Regina to go for a real pet name, but it would not stop her from trying every now and then. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "We're gonna talk about this right, make a plan?"

"Of course. For now, go spend time with Henry and let me get cleaned up. We'll both help him with his homework, all right?"

Emma nodded and she was able to relax somewhat. Regina was there, Regina would think of something. Neal would not be able to take this from her.

As they helped Henry with his homework, Emma imagined doing this, but with Neal. She could see it, but not in the exact manner it was here. She and Neal would slack, which would have Henry slack. The homework might not be finished and what was finished would probably be half-assed. Making it worse, if the teacher said something about it, Emma would have blown her off, as she often did with authority figures. She and Neal would not have taken Henry's education as seriously as Regina did. He would have missed plenty of days, maybe even changed schools a couple of times already, and he probably would not be as enthused about learning.

Henry had definitely gotten off good with having Regina for a mom. He was in a stable environment, spoiled a bit, and just a regular kid with good manners and decent values. No matter what, Emma knew she and Neal would not have been stable. As much as they dreamed of living in one place, neither of them were suited for it at the time. When they were together, they had not stayed anywhere more than a few days.

_Am I suited for it now? _Emma was certain she was. For the first time in her life, she felt like she had taken root somewhere and could grow. Looking at Regina point something out to Henry in his workbook, she smiled. She could not imagine being anywhere else ever again.

Once homework was done, Regina moved to cook dinner. _I think I'd have been a good mom eventually, but I wouldn't have been this mom. I wasn't ready. Hell, I couldn't even cook. Henry would've grown up on cold cereal. Neal couldn't do shit beyond cons and steal. He wasn't ready either_ _and it's not like he had a right to know anyway. He didn't call, didn't write, didn't do shit after that night with the fucking watches. Giving Henry up was the best thing for the kid and me. It gave me a chance to get my shit together. I'm better for it._

-8-8-8-8-

Regina could see the wheels in Emma's head turning all night and it troubled her. Was Emma thinking about the life she could have had with Neal? The life she imagined she could still have with Neal? She highly doubted that, but a little voice in the back of her head that always told her she would never be good enough remained. It sounded suspiciously like her mother. _Love is weakness_. She took a deep breath. _Then I am forever weak_.

They put Henry to bed on time. He went down after one story from Emma, told from the top of her head with a lot of dragons, magic, witches, and knights. Basically, everything Henry loved rolled up into one. If Emma could have figured out how to put Iron Man in it, Henry would have probably demanded she write it down, so he could read it himself later on.

The couple retired to sofa, cuddled up close to each other. Emma had work in a few hours, but they needed to talk. Emma was right. They definitely needed a plan and for that, Regina needed to understand why Neal Cassidy, as she learned his name was, was in town in the first place. It seemed like he was sniffing after Emma, but now he brought their son into it. How did he know in the first place?

"Emma, I know you don't want to, but I think you're going to have to talk to him," Regina said.

Emma let loose a long sigh and rubbed her face with her hand. "I figured as much."

"We need to get ahead of him and find out how much he knows, especially if he was surprised that you're married, but he knew about Henry. This is an odd set of facts to control." She could not figure this out or see what angle he wanted to work. Did he think he and Emma would run away with Henry? Did he think he could play with Emma's mind and somehow trick her into introducing him to Henry? To what end, though? She scratched her forehead, still coming up short.

Emma nodded. "I've been wondering about that. I don't think he knew I was a deputy either. He just happened to see my car at work, but he knew where to find me as far as this town. Why would he know where to find me? I mean, Storybrooke is cool and all, but it's not exactly well known."

"And another strange set of facts to control." This did not add up.

"Yeah." Emma nodded again and her forehead furrowed as she thought on this for a moment. "Okay, I'll talk to him and try to see what he's after. You got anything on him?" 

Regina arched an eyebrow while trying her best to look innocent. It did not work, of course. Emma playfully swatted her thigh.

"Come on. We both know you started digging the second I brought him up. You knew my life story… well, most of it, when I came here. What do you have on him?"

"Basic things. He has a record, but mostly petty crimes and misdemeanors. He was homeless as a child. He is currently an out of work freelance photographer. And…" Regina took a breath, wanting to see be calm for Emma's reaction. "He's engaged."

Emma's mouth dropped open and her eyes went wide. "Engaged?" she growled and a fire ignited in her gaze. "I'll kill him. He's acting like he wants me and he's engaged? Bastard!"

Regina shrugged. "Yes, well, I was once engaged," she reminded her wife.

"Yeah, but that was different. You weren't happy about it and it wasn't your choice. Is he being forced to marry this girl?"

Regina shook her head. "Not from what I could tell. She's a sale representative for a drug company and supports him for the most part. She does quite well."

"Of course." Emma scowled and glared at the wall for a second. "I might not have mentioned it, but fuck him, and never put yourself in his company again. Like I said, yeah, you were engaged, but you were forced into it and you didn't want to marry Leopold. This guy has a woman fucking taking care of him and yet he's stopping me in the street and telling me how good I look now and shit like that? Fuck him."

Regina nodded, quietly pleased with Emma's outrage, but she needed Emma to calm down. "Remember, Henry's asleep."

Emma winced. "Oh, right, sorry. But, don't worry, I'll get to the bottom of this ASAP."

"Why the sudden change?" Regina asked curiously, even though she knew she sparked Emma's fury. It was one thing to be confused by Neal's presence, but with more facts in front of her, she was just pissed, thinking he was trying to play her again and nobody played Emma Swan as far as Emma was concerned.

"This bastard thinks he can just come in here and fuck up my family? Fuck him. It's one thing to harass me, but to harass me while he's got some chick paying bills for him and it's a good job, so it might somehow get him in an with Henry, no. No. Fuck that." Emma made cutting motions with her hand.

Regina's brow wrinkled. "An in with Henry?"

"Before, I could worry he was still just a fucked up con man. No way he could get close to Henry unless he did something crazy like I did, but this is more. He's got a girlfriend with money. She could help him get to Henry. He didn't know about the kid, so it's not like he had his rights terminated. He didn't know I gave Henry up for adoption. Shit, what if he finds out Leopold's my father? Then he'll know Henry can help him get in with the royal family. This is bullshit."

Regina smirked. When Emma's mind worked, she liked to watch. Emma thought she was so paranoid, but the truth was, Emma was just as suspicious. The smallest thing could make the biggest impact. The only difference between them was that Emma would run before impact while Regina dug in deep in order to hit back. It was time for Emma to dig in deep with her.

"Don't tip our hand until we know what he's holding," Regina cautioned her. Emma was not very good with subtle. This was a woman who in a drunken rage took a chainsaw to her prize apple tree in the backyard because of a few cutting words used in an argument. Yes, those words might have included calling Emma a convict and a whore, but a chainsaw was still not subtle or warranted.

"I'll be cool," Emma promised.

Regina leveled a look serious look at her wife. "I'm very serious, Emma. Don't tell him anything if you don't have to."

Emma nodded and promised again. Regina could only hope she could do just that. This Neal man had the psychological advantage and Emma could easily break. Once Emma got what they needed, Regina would never let her face Neal alone again. _Is this how Emma felt when I went to see Mother? I can see why she at least needed to be in the car right outside_.

-8-8-8-8-

Patrolling was as boring as always. Emma had plenty of hot coffee thanks to Regina and "lunch" for later on, but it was still boring. She could not figure out why the part-timers did not snatch this shift up just for the easy money for doing absolutely nothing. _But, then again, this is Storybrooke. Every shift is probably absolutely nothing and you don't have to stay up to see the sunrise_.

She parked for a second and was tempted to call Regina, but it was late. Regina had work in the morning and was probably in the middle of a dead sleep. And, then suddenly, things were not so boring. Neal opened the passenger door and took it upon himself to sit down.

"Kinda dangerous to be leaving the door open like that," Neal commented. "I taught you better than that."

Emma shook her head. "I had a feeling you'd show up." It had been a few days since the incident in the diner. She had done her best to avoid him because she needed to make sure she could keep her promise to Regina. She needed to be cool. Even with the time, her stomach still flipped with him sitting next to her and her nerves felt edgy.

He stared ahead for a moment and then looked at her in a way that made her feel like a naughty child. He pursed his lips as he assessed her. "Yeah, well, you never answered my question and then you disappeared for three days."

To be fair, two of those days were Saturday and Sunday. She talked Henry and Regina into staying in the whole time and they all loved every second of it. They watched movies, played board games, and talked. She and Henry even got in trouble for making a pillow fort in the living room with every pillow in the house. He had never made one before. It was fun. They would have to do it again sometime, without the idea of Neal looming in the air, though.

"No, I lived my life for three days, just like you lived yours for three years while I sat in prison," Emma said, eyes forward. She did not want to look at him, partially because he disgusted and enraged her. But, also, because she feared she might somehow fall for his tricks if she made eye contact for any prolonged period of time.

"I've been trying to tell you, I'm sorry about that. It wasn't my fault," he insisted, putting his hand to his chest as if he was in pain.

There was not a scoff loud enough in the world to express how skeptical she was on that, but she tried anyway. And added an eye roll, just in case. "Oh, bullshit. Who's fault was it?"

He sighed and rubbed his palms together. "Look, you remember August, right?"

Her mouth dropped open and she had to look at him, if only for a second. "You are seriously not going to sit across from me and tell me August told you to set me up with those watches, are you?" August was a "friend" of theirs from back in the day. He ran cons, as well, but a little better than they did and a little more serious if anyone asked Emma. He was a womanizing, lying douche on a good day. But, he had a pretty face and was good with words and being mysterious. Women practically fell in his lap and he used them until he was bored. Emma wondered if Neal was like that now, but taking it to another level since he was engaged. Even August would never stoop that low.

"He was just telling me about another job he had set up and that's why I missed the meet with you."

"Did August call the cops, too?" After all, she was arrested pretty quickly after making the pickup. Someone had to make a call and she had a feeling it was Neal.

Neal had the nerve to look offended. "Just what are you asking me here? Do you really think I would call the cops on you? Hell, on anyone!"

"I know someone called the cops and that's why I got picked up," she reminded him.

"Emma, you knew they were watching those watches."

Growling, she glared at him. "Oh! So, it's my fault?" She motioned to herself with both hands.

"No! I'm just saying, I didn't betray you like you thought or let you take the rap or whatever. I was just late!"

"By seven fucking years, Neal! It's been seven years! You didn't write or try to contact me in any gods-be-damned way!" She glared at him even harder, wishing looks could kill and he would drop dead. She would not even mind having to get rid of the body. Hell, Regina would probably help.

"I didn't know what to say! I thought you knew when I left the car for you it would be an apology. I didn't mean for you to go to jail and I didn't know what to say while you were there!"

Emma rolled her eyes. "So, now, all of a sudden you know what to say and you can apologize to my face?"

"I didn't know when you got out and when you got out, I didn't know where you were. I couldn't say anything to your face then." He had the nerve to give her big, puppy eyes, like she was supposed to just forgive and forget from that.

"No, but for three years you knew just where I was! Not to mention, it doesn't seem like you had a hard gods-be-damned time finding me here and who the fuck knows where the hell Storybrooke is?" Emma inquired.

"I've been looking for you."

_In between the time you've been banging your fiancée, right?_ She sucked her teeth. "Seriously? How much bullshit do you think I'm going to buy? How stupid do you think I am? I'm not that dumbass teen girl anymore."

"I never thought you were stupid. You think you're easy to find? You don't stay anywhere long enough to get mail there and I'm just supposed to magically know where the hell you are?" he countered with a frown.

"You seemed to magically know where the hell I am now." She watched as his face tensed and his eyes seemed to explode.

"You know what, enough of this bullshit. Do we have a kid together or what?" he demanded.

"What makes you think that?" _Why does he know where I am and why does he know about the kid, but nothing else? I don't get it. He seems intent on holding onto his fucking source, though_. _Who the hell is helping him?_

"I deserve to know."

"You don't deserve a damn thing. Maybe if you bothered to write or call in the past seven years, you'd know," she snapped.

He hit the dashboard with his palm. "I have a right to know."

"You have a right to shit! Who the fuck do you think you are, Neal?" She pointed at him.

He growled. "I think I'm a father and you're keeping the kid from me. I deserve to know if I have a kid."

"Well, you don't. Whoever the hell told you where I was and about the kid failed to mention, I gave him up for adoption, so you don't have a kid. And that's the stone cold fucking truth of the matter."

His nostrils flared and he glared at her. "Then who the hell was that kid in the diner?"

"That's my wife's kid."

He narrowed his gaze. "Nah, you're lying. That's my kid. I can tell. What the hell, Emma? Why didn't you tell me? Why did you lie?"

"He's not your kid! You know what, get out of the car! I don't know why the hell you're here or what you think you're doing, but you're not going to get anything, so get the hell out of the car!" she ordered, pointing to the door.

"You can't keep me out of his life, Emma. I'm his father. You didn't even bother to tell me about him."

Emma tilted her head to him. "I didn't tell you…" She cut herself off. It would not do any good to point out she had been in jail and he had disappeared into the night since he knew what he did. "How did you find out about him anyway?"

Neal shook his head. "Doesn't matter. You owe me this, Emma."

Her mouth dropped open. "I owe you? Are you mad? You left me to rot in jail." _He's out of his fucking mind_.

"I told you that wasn't my fault! And I keep apologizing, but you're the one making this hard. I don't see why you can't just accept and we start over. We've got a kid, after all."

"You don't have a kid," she snarled. Henry was not part of Neal. Neal was just some glorified sperm donor she had the misfortune of knowing in more ways than she should have.

"Like it or not, I'm his father. I don't see why you're all worked up. This was what we wanted, remember?" He had the nerve to put his hand on her thigh. She moved her leg, but he was not deterred. "We were going to be a little family. Remember? We'd get a house by the beach."

As she remembered those things, her blood boiled. He threw it all away and she could not figure out why. Now, she had her family and he was trying to screw it up. "First of all, touch me again and I'm going to break your hand before I arrest you for battery on a deputy. Stop trying to butter me up. You're the reason we don't have that now."

"But, you're standing in the way of it today."

Emma's brow furrowed. _The fuck is he talking about?_ She was married and he was engaged. Not to mention, even he was the last man on the planet and the survival of the species counted on them being together, she would never touch him again.

"Neal, did you hit your head? I'm married," Emma pointed out.

"Yeah, but it's not real."

It felt like her head caved in from that simple statement. "What?" _What the fuck?_

He held up his hands for a second. "Okay, I didn't know you were married until the sheriff said something. You're not married to him, right? I mean, that's a huge flip to the other side. But, whatever. The relationship's not real, right? I mean, you still want me, right?"

Emma narrowed her gaze and she suspected she knew who made the call to this bastard. "Why the hell would you think that?"

He shrugged. "Look, it doesn't matter. I mean, we got a kid together and all, but whatever. I'll give you a chance to just think about this. I'll catch up with you later." He was gone just as suddenly as he appeared.

"Snow, I'm going to fucking kill you for this," Emma vowed as she pulled out her phone and dialed her dear sister. It was not surprising Snow did not pick up. Emma texted her, "Call me when you read this." _Heir to the throne or not, I'm so kicking her ass_. This was a body she definitely knew Regina would help her hide.

-8-8-8-8-

Regina could tell it had been a long night just from how loudly Emma slammed the door when she came in. Poor Henry jumped in his seat. Regina waved at him to tell him to stay at the table while she rushed to the door. She wanted to see what kind of state Emma was in.

Emma grumbled curses to the wall as she tried to kick her boots off without bothering to bend down. Her face was red and puffy. Regina embraced her from behind and nuzzled her shoulder.

"What's wrong, my princess?" Regina asked in a whisper.

"By the Fates, Regina, I feel like I keep coming home out of my gods-be-damned mind. How can you stand being with me?" Emma huffed.

Regina snickered into her shoulder. "You're cute." Emma chuckled and Regina smiled. "Let me take care of you, princess."

Emma did not make a sound. Regina bent down and unlaced Emma's boots. She would never do this for anyone else. Even Henry stopped getting help with his shoes by the time he learned to tie his laces. But, Emma would do this for her if the shoe were on the other foot, so to speak.

"Now, what are your troubles, my love?" Regina asked as she eased one boot off.

"Fucking Neal," Emma hissed, making sure to keep her voice low. Maybe the profanity was there to stay, but she now understood it was not appropriate at levels Henry might hear.

Regina cocked an eyebrow. "You spoke to him last night?"

"Stupid bastard jumped into my patrol car. You should've heard this half-ass apology he tried to give me last night about sending me to jail. He knew about me having a kid, but he's already assumed Henry's that kid and the only problem there is he's right."

"So, what does he want?"

"That's just it, I have no clue. I don't know if he's trying to get back with me or play me or take Henry or something. It was confusing, but he seems hell bent on meeting Henry."

"He'd have a better chance of meeting the Dark One," Regina growled. She would use everything in her power to keep that awful man away from their son.

"Are you sure about that?" Emma asked.

"Look, dear, go eat with our son. You made him jump a little when you came in. Then, the next time Mister Cassidy decides to make his presence known, you call me." She would get to the bottom of this or get rid of Mister Cassidy, maybe both. She would not have him around bothering her wife, turning Emma's already shifted life upside down.

"You have a plan?"

"I have terror and devastation to rain down upon Mister Cassidy. This is our family, Emma, and I will protect it with the same ferocity as I protect everything else."

Emma smiled. "I'm with you, then. You wanna let me on this plan?"

"Once Henry's gone. For now, like I said, go spend time with our son. He's worried about you. And remember, he is _our_ son. Consider Mister Cassidy a forgettable sperm donor."

Emma nodded. "All right. I didn't mean to scare Henry. Neal just pissed me off so much."

"I know." Regina gave her a kiss to the cheek and Emma went to have breakfast. Regina cracked her knuckles and grinned. "Consider it on, Mister Cassidy."

-8-8-8-8-

Emma ran into Neal after she got off of work and proposed they go talk over lunch. _Granny's_ was not too far away, so they walked. He grinned the whole time. She did not understand it. What did he want from her? Why was he so happy?

"Stop looking like that," Emma growled as they eased into a booth.

"Like what?" Neal asked with a smug smile.

"Like that." She motioned to his arrogant mug. By the Fates, she hated him now and she hated that she hated him. This meant she still felt something for him. He still had power over her. _Or is it just that he could have power over Henry, thus over me and Regina? _A headache knocked at the front of her skull and she decided to stop thinking. She just texted her wife, her partner-in-crime, and now all there that was left was to wait for the fireworks.

Ruby came over to take their orders and Emma wanted to crawl under the table when she saw the disapproving look the waitress gave her. But, then she glared right back at Ruby. _Who the hell was Ruby to judge me?_ Besides, she told Ruby to look out for this guy, so clearly she was not as cozy with him as she looked! Groaning under her breath, she assumed Ruby thought she might be interested in him because she asked Ruby to watch him. She would have to explain this later on.

"Can I get you anything before a certain someone storms in here and rips someone's heart out of her chest?" Ruby asked.

"Don't be a smart aleck. You know what this is," Emma said and Ruby chuckled. Okay, so Ruby knew she did not like Neal, but was just being a joker about things. This was almost as annoying as Ruby thinking there was something between them.

"It looks like a date to me," Ruby teased.

Neal chuckled. "We make a good looking couple, don't we?" He sat up a little straighter.

Ruby had to cover her mouth with her hand to keep from laughing. Emma would kill her later if she made this any more painful. From the twinkle in her eye, she feared Ruby would definitely need slaying later on. _Shit, if I keep this up, I won't have any friends left and I'll be jail for a very long time for multiple counts of murder_.

"You do make a very good looking couple. You been together long?" Ruby inquired with a smile.

"Rubes, how about you take our orders?" Emma suggested through gritted teeth before Neal had a chance to open his mouth.

"Will the gentleman be ordering for the lady?" Ruby asked with a grin, winking at Neal. He smiled.

"You still like grilled cheese, Emma?" he asked.

"Who doesn't like grilled cheese? You're not ordering for me," Emma insisted. Not just because he was getting on her nerves, but also because Regina was the only one who could make her a grilled cheese now. Regina went all gourmet on her and now she could only have those extra-special grilled cheeses.

"Come on. We could split a milkshake like we used to," he suggested with a boyish smile. Emma shuddered in disbelief she once found the expression cute. _Of course, I was a dumb kid then_.

"That doesn't sound very appealing to me. I have to kiss that mouth later on, after all," Regina commented as she sashayed over. She put her purse on the table like it was a sword. Ruby turned her head to laugh now while Neal stared on, gaping like a fish out of water.

"But, you like the taste of chocolate," Emma remarked.

"Yes, but I'm not interested in sharing a tertiary kiss with a man I hardly know," Regina pointed out. She then glanced at Ruby. "The usual beverages for me and my wife."

Ruby snickered, probably because it looked like Neal swallowed a bug. "And you, sir?"

"Uh… a coke will do," he managed to answer, sounding like he needed air. Ruby skipped away, but definitely would be listening in for the latest gossip.

"Mister Cassidy, I would like to say it's a pleasure to meet you, but that would be a lie," Regina said in a businesslike manner.

"Who are you?" he demanded, glaring at Regina.

"I would have thought that much was obvious," Regina said.

Emma smiled proudly. "This is my wife." She wiggled her eyebrows, rubbing it in that her wife was beautiful, hot, and sexy, as they were all three different things as far as she was concerned. "And Henry's mother."

"Henry?" Neal asked.

"Yes, our son, Henry. The boy you seemed determined to meet or something of that nature. Emma was not very clear on the details, but then again, she says you weren't very clear on the details," Regina explained.

"It just sounded like a lot of demands to me and something about my marriage not being real," Emma said.

"What makes our marriage any less real than the next?" Regina asked, pressing Neal with her gaze.

Neal's mouth moved, but no words came out for quite a while. Regina coming in as an ambush was excellent. Neal could push Emma around, maybe because of knowing her when she was a teenager, she was not sure, but Regina had complete control over the situation. Just the way Regina liked it. Now, all that was left was to watch Regina go into a crocodile death roll on him.

"It was just… I mean, I was told it wasn't real," he babbled.

"Rings, ceremony, marriage certificate, bills, nights together, meals together, sharing a bed, house, and a son, all the while enjoying each other's company. This sounds like most other marriages. I wonder who would tell you such a thing. I know our friend, Sheriff Humbert, informed you his deputy was married and yet you have harassed her anyway," Regina commented.

Emma's mouth almost fell open. _Wait, I am a deputy and he was harassing me! I could've put this ass in jail!_ It had not occurred to her. Clearly, she needed to get more accustomed to her new job and she needed to learn how to handle Neal better.

"Look, I just want to see my son," Neal insisted.

Both women glared at him. "He's not your son." Emma was not sure which one of them said that with more bite.

"As much as I love a good cat-and-mouse game, Emma and I do not play when it comes to our son, so I am going to get straight to the point, you will not see Henry until he finds he is ready and wanting to meet you," Regina stated.

"You can't keep me from my son," Neal replied.

"Oh, but she can," Emma assured him. She could not wait to watch Regina take him down a peg. She had tried, but he did not want to listen to her. He messed with the bull, so now he would get the horns.

"Legally, Henry is my son. Emma gave him up for adoption, not because she did not want him, but because she was not ready for a son and could not provide for him. She is now back into his life and married to me. Not because she demanded it, but because she has her life together and she is ready to be a parent. She's doing a very good job. Steady work, loving hand, spending quality time, and taking tender care of our child. This will sound excellent in a court, you know," Regina said.

"Court?" he echoed like it was a dirty word and, honestly, it probably was to him. The word "cop" still gave Emma pause and she was one.

"Yes, court as that is the only way you'll be able to get to Henry if you want to force this issue. Now, just to warn you for what you are in store for should you decide to travel this route – I am a former prosecuting attorney in this county and the current mayor of this town. Added to that, I am of noble birth. I am an outstanding and upstanding citizen while you are a former criminal and currently unemployed, despite your claims of being a freelance photographer. I cannot see many judges giving you access to my child with just that.

"Making matters worse, you impregnated Emma while she was seventeen, underage, and then did not make contact with her when she went to prison. If she tells a judge her side of the story, it will paint such a terrible, but I'm sure highly accurate, picture of you. Forget the many other facts and issues you are so completely unaware of. Do you really think any judge in the country will give access to my son against my wishes just because you didn't know about him when he was born, especially since you're the reason you didn't know about him?" Regina inquired with an arched eyebrow.

Amazingly enough, just at this time, Ruby came back with their drinks. She did not even say anything. She just smiled and put everything down. She was definitely eavesdropping. Regina did not seem to care.

"Your move, Mister Cassidy," Regina prompted him before taking a sip of her coffee.

"If you are mayor, won't this be bad press for you?" he inquired.

"How so? The whole town knows Henry is adopted." Regina looked at her wife. "Emma, would it bother you for people to find out you had Henry in prison while you were seventeen because this man tricked you and abandoned you?"

Emma sighed, but shook her head. "No. I'm older, wiser, and I have thicker skin. It bothers me Henry would have to find out about his birth father that way, but I imagine he won't want to know much about Neal after hearing all of that. Beyond that, I wonder what Neal's fiancée would think of this."

Regina nodded. "This is true. What would his fiancée think knowing he, at twenty-four, abandoned his pregnant seventeen-year-old girlfriend to rot in prison for watches he stole?"

Neal growled at them. "This is bullshit."

"No, you coming here was bullshit. You trying to bully me was bullshit," Emma replied.

"Emma, this is my kid we're talking about. You're gonna just let her take my kid from me?" he demanded.

"Henry was never your kid! You didn't even know he existed until someone told you about him and now you're trying to con your way into his life. I mean, first you try to slip back into my life, like you don't have a fiancée, and then you try to bulldoze your way into Henry's life. You can't con your way into his life," Emma replied.

"I wasn't—"

She cut him off. "Oh, please! You wouldn't even tell me why you were here at first. You were playing games. You're thirty-two years old and you're still playing games. Henry doesn't need that in his life. He's more put together than I am and I'm clearly more put together than you!"

"Oh, so was I supposed to just ask nicely?" he scoffed.

"It would've been a great start!"

"You wouldn't have let me! You're clearly still bitter!"

"Yeah, you sent me to jail for three years! What the hell don't you understand about that? I loved you and I was ready to spend my life with you and you left me to take the blame for something you did and then you vanished from my life completely like I meant nothing. Well, now, I'm vanishing from your life. You can fade away," Emma said.

Regina knew her well enough to get up part way through the speech, so Emma could storm out. Regina followed, after giving Neal a devilish smirk.

"You've woken a sleeping dragon, Mister Cassidy. I don't think you want to mess with these Mama-bears," Regina said on her way out. At this point, Emma almost wished he did try her. But, for now, he was stuck in his seat, too shocked to say anything.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Emma and Regina try to ignore their sisters.


	15. Sisters

I don't own these characters.

This chapter contains some sexual situations with two female characters. Consider yourself warned… again.

15: Sisters

Regina and Emma cuddled together on the sofa, watching some romantic-comedy neither was paying attention to. It was Friday night and Henry was in bed. The couple was just trying to have "date" night. They would have a better time of it tomorrow when Kathryn and Frederick volunteered to take Henry to a basketball camp Frederick was a part of, but for now, this would do.

"Your phone is buzzing again," Regina pointed out. She had a folder in hand, reading up on Neal.

Regina seriously believed in preparing for war, even though Emma was sure they had seen the last of Neal until Henry was ready for him. And, even then, they would probably have to hunt Neal down since he was probably focusing on keeping things good with his wife-to-be now that he knew he could not get anything out of Emma. Not to mention, Regina had scared the crap out of him with the word "court."

"Yeah, I know." It was weird, but Emma was falling asleep. Her body very much rebelled against the night shift, so at a time when she should be wide awake, just because she was at home, her body wanted to rest. But, she wanted to spend time with Regina.

Regina kept her attention on the folder as the phone went off again. "Is it Ruby bothering you about the diner incident?"

"No. I had to tell her that whole thing four days ago. She wouldn't let it go, like a dog with a…" Emma trailed off and looked at Regina with wide eyes. "Is that racist?"

Regina chuckled. "I think she would forgive you."

_Okay, so that was probably racist_. Emma had never really knew any werewolves before Ruby, but she would keep that in mind. She did not want to offend her friend, especially through ignorance.

Emma shook it off. "But, yeah, I had to tell her and Graham the other day. He's as nosy as she is when he gets around her. It's awful."

Regina gave her a small, but supportive smile. "They're just protective of you, dear. You have good friends."

Emma blinked. She never realized it, but, yeah, she did have good friends. This town made it possible. In the big city, she could avoid people, avoid attachments because no matter what her needs were, she could get them at a variety of places and never become familiar with anyone. Here there were not that many options and she was not some faceless blonde in the crowd. And she did not want to be. Graham and Ruby had her back no matter what, even if they gave her a hard time. She gave them a hard time right back and they had fun together. She would do anything for them and knew they would do the same.

"I haven't had a friend in almost ten years," Emma said, running her fingers along Regina's knee just because she could.

"I know the feeling. I never had a friend until college and Kathryn was my roommate. She forced me out of my shell. Although, sometimes, I miss that shell."

Emma laughed. "I'm sure it was a very attractive shell, but I'm glad you got out. Or maybe I could just move in." She snuggled a little closer, bringing Regina's legs across her lap.

Regina chuckled a bit. "The shell is gone. Kathryn saw to that."

Emma nodded. "Ruby is my Kathryn then."

"Good. Kathryn has always made me feel like this is what it would be like to have a sister I got along with."

Again, Emma nodded. "I don't think about Ruby like that. I mean, I'm trying to get along with Snow. She's making it damned hard right now, but I'm trying."

"Is that her calling?"

"How'd you guess?" Emma did not really want an answer. "I wanted to talk to her because I know she's the one who put Neal in our path, but now I don't want to talk to her because I'm so damned mad with her. I mean, what the fuck? Who does that? She has no idea what she could've done and she did it anyway. I mean, what the fuck?" She scowled.

Regina frowned a bit as well. "Well, you should talk to her if only to be sure she's the one who did it. What if it was Leopold? You always thought he surrendered a little too easily. Perhaps it was him who tried so hard to throw us off."

Emma shrugged. _Shit, that makes sense_. "I guess." She had never considered Leopold might have had a hand in this since Snow was the one who pushed about her dating men before.

Then Regina's phone went off, buzzing against a book it sat on. The noise threw off Emma's thoughts. Regina ignored it. Emma glanced at the phone before looking back at her wife.

"Is that your mother calling?" Emma inquired.

"She calls every couple of days. My business with her is done, though." Regina waved her phone off.

"So, you'll never talk to her again?" Emma asked with a furrowed brow. It seemed a bit extreme.

"Should I want to?" Regina countered, looking at her with squinting eyes and a wrinkled forehead.

Emma thought on it for a moment. Should Regina want to talk to a woman who abused her, possibly put her father into an early grave, and maybe had a hand in killing her first love? "No, I suppose you shouldn't. You're not curious as to why she's calling, though?"

"I am aware of why. She wants to manipulate me to giving into her desires. I've dealt with this woman for thirty years, Emma. I know how she works. There will be apologizes and pretty words and she'll tell me how proud she is and the moment I believe her and give in everything will go wrong. I prefer to skip it. But, you may want to talk with your sister."

"Says the woman who never talks to her sister."

"Zelena and Snow are two very different animals. There is a reason Kathryn is why I know what it feels like to have a sister. Zelena is an extension of my mother. I don't blame her for it anymore, but I have little desire to deal with it."

Emma frowned. "Why?"

"Because of her birth, my mother never had these grand dreams for Zelena. There was never a chance for her to be queen, so Mother ignored her. Mother focused all of her energy on me."

"And Zelena thinks you got the better end of the deal?"

"The grass is always greener, I suppose. I would have traded places with her, sometimes, but other times… well, it was nice to feel like Mother paid me some mind because she loved me. Zelena typically was exceptionally mean to me. Oddly enough, for much of my life, Zelena was just exceptional. She mimicked everything Mother wanted from me and did it better and with far greater enthusiasm. Perhaps it was because she was older than I was, but I wanted desperately to be like her, if only to get Mother to like me more. She only seemed to be all the more grand when Mother would say, 'Regina, do it like Zelena.' It built her up until Mother inevitably broke her down."

"You wished you were like her and she wished she was like you?"

"In a word: yes. Of course it's a bit more complicated, but Zelena still carries this around with her. I've managed to let it go by following my own path as best I can while she continues to do what Mother demands with the hope that Mother will one day acknowledge her effort. Mother never will and Mother will always pester me and Zelena will always feel I'm getting the attention she deserves. You and Snow don't have to worry about that, so maybe you should speak to her."

Emma sighed. "That sucks, you know. I always wished I had a sibling growing up. It seemed like it was a tight bond."

"I wouldn't know. Zelena always treated me as a rival rather than a sister. There were times when I worried she would literally smother me in my sleep. But, I think you could have your 'tight bond' with Snow. We both know she means well."

Though she nodded, Emma could not help frowning just a little. The fact that Snow meant well was the only thing that kept her from getting her ass beat. "Yeah, but I'm sure you can give me dozens of examples of people who meant well and totally fucked up big time."

Regina chuckled. "I could start with Snow. But, the point is, was this something that crossed a line you can't come back from? If not, speak with her. I'm sure she's sweating bullets."

Emma had to laugh because she was certain it was true. "I guess you're right."

"I think you should try to build a relationship with her. I tried with Zelena when I got comfortable here. She turned me down, but it was worth a try. I doubt Snow will turn you down and you're comfortable in your skin, correct?"

"I am." Emma never felt so comfortable, actually. She finally felt settled and Regina had proven to her time and time again that they were in this together, so she did not fear being abandoned as she often did. Regina healed this particular scar.

"Maybe it would be best for Snow to see you in what is now your element."

Emma cocked an eyebrow. "My element? You mean here? You want me to invite the Heir to the Throne to town?"

Regina chuckled. "I know it sounds insane, but I will find time for us to hide our Priory to the Dark One, the strip clubs, the brothels, all of the underground gambling establishments that litter our fair town, as well as the drug overlords, and tell all of the gang members to hold any drive-bys until she leaves."

Emma smiled. "You think you're so funny."

Regina just smiled at her and for some reason, in this moment, Regina's smile seemed all the more radiant. _Screw the movie_. Emma leaned over, kissing Regina's neck. Regina wasted no time abandoning the folder in her hand and wrapping her hands around Emma's neck. Their lips met in a passionate kiss and a moan echoed through the empty house. The movie was forgotten.

-8-8-8-8-

Regina lied in bed with Emma's arm around her. She caressed Emma's bare abdomen and stared down at her peaceful face, haloed by a golden crown of soft hair. Emma slept much better now than she did when they had first started their affair. There used to be a lot of tossing, turning, kicking, and vague mumbles of "no," "lemme alone," and "let go." Regina never asked and Emma never explained why she slept that way, but apparently those days were over. Well, for the most part.

Regina wondered if she slept better as well. She had always felt more rested when waking up in Emma's arms. There were fewer nightmares in Emma's arms and she certainly fell asleep easier without having to stare at the ceiling for hours on end before sleep came. _How does she put me at such ease? _It did not matter.

_I would never trade this for anything, even my mother_. She stared at her phone, looking at all of the missed calls from her mother. Some were also from Zelena. There were also text messages from her sister.

There was nothing she did not expect in the texts as she read through them. "Mother only wants grand things from you, why are you throwing them away?"

"I know Mother is crazy for having such high expectations for you, but for once, why don't you do the smart thing? Why are you so ungrateful?"

"Why do you want to roll around with the unwashed masses? Your behavior undermines us all. Show some care about your family name."

Regina rolled her eyes to that. Zelena only bore the surname Mills because her father's oversized, kind heart. Or maybe because her mother threatened her father, but that was neither here nor there.

Regina shot a text to Kathryn. "My mother and my sister have called me repeatedly. Do you think I should try to find more material to use against them?" She could hardly believe her mother would try anything. Not with evidence that she was amassing a secret fortune against the will of the Crown as well as evidence she was illegally practicing magic.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" was Kathryn texted response.

"I'm reveling and somewhat brooding, allowing bothersome thoughts to keep me awake. What do you think?"

"Reveling and brooding? Only you. Give me the context of the messages and I will tell you what I think."

Regina forwarded Kathryn all of the texts and also noted Zelena called more often than her mother. _Mother must be making Zelena's life Hell because of me_. It would not be the first time. Zelena was often Cora's stress relief if she could not punish Regina for whatever reason.

"I think Zelena's just being as bitter as always. Don't trouble yourself over it," Kathryn texted back.

"I'll certainly try," Regina responded. It was entirely possible.

Putting her phone down, Regina looked at Emma. She hoped Emma's attempt to build a relationship with her sister went better than Regina's attempt. Of course, Snow did not have thirty years of bitterness built up in her like Zelena did. Snow was also just plain nice while Zelena, at times, seemed just plain crazy. Still, there were times, back when she was younger, Regina had wished…

Regina shook the thoughts away. She would never have the chance Emma had now. She had tried and Zelena wanted no part of it. It was probably one of the reasons she held Kathryn so dear. She knew Zelena would never be what she wanted or needed, but Kathryn would always be there. So, whatever she had in her that she wanted to give Zelena, she gave to Kathryn.

Before she could go down that path anymore, Emma curled closer to her. Emma's hand wandered from her stomach to her breast. She chuckled as Emma clutched her breast in her sleep. Regina put her hand over Emma's and ran her thumb along Emma's knuckles.

"What am I going to do about your libido?" Regina whispered.

"You love it," Emma mumbled. She kneaded Regina's breast as she moved her head, nipping at Regina's earlobe.

"I am in no way fond of your immature behavior."

Emma chuckled, her voice rough with sleep. "I think this is very mature. In fact, if this was a movie, it would be for mature audiences only." She pinched Regina's nipple and Regina moaned a little as delightful jolts shot through her.

"Odd, while watching a movie you chose, you dozed off, but here in bed you have all the energy in the world." Regina slung her leg over Emma's hip, just in case this got as heated as Emma seemed to plan.

"You should get in bed with yourself, then. Everything about you is so sexy that it beckons me," Emma whispered and then she kissed Regina's shoulder.

"Beckons? Dare I think your vocabulary is improving and growing?" Regina smirked.

"If it helps get me laid, feel free to think what you want." Emma rolled her nipple and Regina let loose a whine. Her hips bucked, seeking friction.

"That's all I am to you? A warm hole for your fingers and tongue?" she teased. Of course, if that were the case, she would take it for right now.

"Of course not. You're also a hot tongue for my mouth and very enjoyable boobs." Emma snickered in her ear. "Oh, and I'm also a big fan of your clit." With those words, her other hand slid right to that spot. She groaned as soon as she touched Regina, like she could feel what Regina felt.

Regina moaned and rocked her hips against Emma's hand. With each move of her hips, Emma kissed her neck and pinched her nipple. Regina moaned and moved, moaned and moved.

"I love you," Emma whispered before giving Regina's collarbone a bite.

"Love you, too, princess," Regina gasped as Emma slid inside of her. She reached behind her, needing to clutch some part of Emma. Her short nails dug into Emma's ass. This earned her another groan from Emma.

"I love the way you feel, the way you sound, the way you grip me. I love all of this, all of you." Dipping her head, Emma wrapped her lips around Regina's nipple.

Regina could not respond as Emma purposely quickened her pace and bucked against Regina. The feel of Emma's body moving with her made Regina's blood boil and it felt like everything inside of her wanted to explode. Emma released her nipple to take a breath and then she bit Regina's neck. That was enough to send her over the edge. Groaning, her body went taut and dazzling colors flooded her vision. By the time she was herself again, Emma panted in her ear.

"I love watching you finish," Emma said.

"One would think after seeing it three times tonight, you'd hit your limit," Regina remarked in a low voice.

Emma scoffed and kissed Regina's shoulder. "My limit of watching you is about as endless as your limit for orgasms. How the hell can you come so many times in one night?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "Stop fishing for compliments, Emma." Three was not even that impressive. Back when they had hotel rooms to themselves and did not have to worry about their son sleeping down the hall, three would not even be the tip of the iceberg for either of them.

"You love it and you love me. Besides, I don't have to fish for them. You give compliments freely," Emma pointed out. She pulled Regina closer to her and gently caressed her side. "But, how come you're still up?"

Regina snuggled in a little closer and put a hand on Emma's hip. "No reason. I was just thinking about my sister."

"Call her if you want."

Regina shook her head. "No, I won't be doing that. I know how it would go. I've been down the road before."

"Then why think about it?"

"I suppose just because you were thinking about your sister. I hope things work out between you and Snow." She meant it.

"Thank you."

Regina nodded and decided to go to sleep. There was no reason to ponder on Zelena. The situation would never change.

-8-8-8-8-

Emma was alone in the house and she stared down at her phone. She was tempted to call Snow, as Regina suggested, but she was not sure what to say. She did not want to come right out and accuse Snow of having a hand in things with Neal, but she felt like she might do just that. She had to work on her bullish approach to everything, but she was not sure if she could start that now.

"Maybe tomorrow, but not now," Emma muttered. Still, she called. _Why the hell did I do that? What the hell am I going to say? What the hell is Snow gonna say? _She feared Snow would say something to piss her off and then they would never speak again. The thought made her stomach sink.

"Emma, what happened? You tell me to call and then you never respond! I was so worried!" Snow practically cried.

Emma flinched and it had nothing to do with the fact that Snow was over the top. Snow had been worried about her. She would have to remember that and probably get used to it. Just the fact that Snow had been concerned for her sort of softened the betrayal with Neal. Snow had not realized what she was doing, Emma was sure of that. So, she took a deep breath and settled herself, wanting to speak as civilly as she could dredge up.

"Snow, I feel like you and I need to talk and move forward. Do you think you can come to Storybrooke? I have work the next few days, but I'm free on the weekend." Emma was certain she could get Regina to cook. They could have a family dinner and then talk. Henry should know he had an aunt out there… well, one who might actually be welcomed at the house.

"You want me to come to Storybrooke?" Snow sounded so confused, like she did not expect that.

Emma felt a bit sad. She did not want things between her and Snow to get to the point where Snow did not expect invitations to her town or her home. They definitely needed to work this out.

"Yeah. I know you know Regina and all, but you can get to see us together, you could get to know Henry, and I could show you around my new hometown. What do you think?" Emma asked.

"Oh, Emma, that sounds wonderful." She sounded like she was smiling, which made Emma smile. There was an awkward pause, though. "So, how are you and Regina doing?" Saying the mayor's name sounded painful for Snow.

"We're doing great. I think we'll be doing better when I can get off of the night shift at work, but we're doing really good."

Snow made a weird noise, but it seemed like she was curious. "The nightshift. Where do you work?"

"I'm a deputy sheriff. I'll show you the station when you come by. David will probably love it." At the mention of him, Emma realized she missed the big lug. He would probably love Storybrooke. He seemed just mellow enough to get into the spirit of a small town.

"Oh." Snow sort of yelped the word. "Deputy sheriff. I thought you didn't want to go into law enforcement."

"That's not what I said. I told you I wasn't in law enforcement. Look, are you going to come or what?" She hoped she sounded tired rather than annoyed, even though she felt both. For some reason, half the time she spoke with Snow, she felt that way.

"I'll have to run it by David. Will you pick up the phone next time I call?"

"Yeah. Sorry about that." Emma scratched her head and sighed. "It's just been busy around here." _And I've been crazy and scared I might kill you, but busy just the same_.

"Anything interesting?" Snow somewhat hummed the question.

Emma narrowed her gaze, even though she was not staring at anything in particular. Snow was not helping her believe someone else had been behind Neal showing up. Snow was also not helping her mood, but she managed to remain calm. Still, Emma did not want to talk about that over the phone. She wanted to be able to get into Snow's face and not get hung up on.

"Nothing of note, no," Emma said.

Snow whined in disappointment. "I would have thought something interesting happened."

"Nope, nothing. So, call if you can make it and we'll talk then." _I'll have Regina make something to knock their socks off_. Maybe then Snow would understand her marriage was real and she loved Regina. _Does that even make sense?_ It did to her. After all, Regina would have to love her deeply to entertain the Heir and also cook for the Heir, not to mention give into Emma's whims.

They disconnected the call and Emma felt like she was drained of everything inside of her. Now, she had a few days to mentally prepare herself for the arrival of Snow White. She needed to make sure there was enough alcohol in the house, too. Well, alcohol beyond Regina's beloved homebrewed apple cider. She needed serious, grown-up hard liquor.

The doorbell chiming disturbed her thoughts. For a second, she thought it was Snow, but it was impossible for her to get there that fast without magic and she knew Snow not only did not know any real magic, but also was not very fond of the use of it. _But, then, who is that?_ Well, the mystery was easily solved. She went to answer the door.

"Can I help you?" Emma asked a very well-put together woman in front of her. From the revealing black dress, perfect makeup, and emerald necklace the size of a baby's fist, this could only be a friend of Regina's. But, Emma thought she knew all of Regina's friends, especially since it was an incredibly short list, much like her own. _So, who the hell is this?_

"I'm looking for Regina," the redheaded woman replied in an accent Emma could not entirely place. It sounded like she was from the western country of Oz, but there were hints of something else, maybe Castian, and mostly the Enchanted Forest. It was just weird.

"She's not here right now."

"Oh. Pity." The woman sniffed. "I suppose I'll wait," the redhead said and breezed right into the house. Looking around, she sneered a bit.

"Uh, hello? Who are you?" Emma inquired, closing the door and turning to face the… guest, she guessed this woman was. If not, she was trespassing and Emma would make her first real arrest as a deputy.

The redhead smiled. "Oh, has Regina not mentioned me? I'm her older sister, Zelena. And you must be the wife." Green eyes looked her up and down with undisguised lust. "I can certainly see the appeal."

Emma frowned, not a fan of the predatory gaze in Zelena's eyes. The only person she liked looking like she would pounce on her was Regina. On Regina it was a sexy look, but on Zelena, it was creepy. _It actually makes me wanna throw up a little_.

"I don't see the resemblance," Emma said, purposely being insulting.

Zelena let loose an airy laugh. "Thank goodness for that. So, when will Regina be back?" she inquired, looking around the house once more. She then proceeded to walk through the mansion. Emma wondered if the redhead had ever been here before.

"She usually gets back at five. She's working," Emma pointed out. _Like regular people do on weekdays in the afternoon_.

Zelena groaned and the corner of her upper lip twitched, as if she was disgusted by the very idea. "Of course. Regina likes to do things so pedestrian."

"You do know she's the mayor, right?" Emma asked with an arched eyebrow. Most people would be proud of their sister being the mayor of any place, but of a great little place like Storybrooke was even better.

Zelena turned her nose up, as if Emma said Regina was a garbage collector. Of course, Emma would love her either way, but apparently nothing would have been good enough for Zelena. _What's the problem? Well, apart from this chick being a snob, anyway._

"Look, Regina's not going to be here for a long time, so can I help you with anything?" Emma inquired. She wanted to get Zelena out of the house as soon as possible, not enjoying the way the woman clearly looked down on her home. Regina did not deserve to come home and be greeted by disapproving smugness either.

Zelena sneered for a moment and then marched back over to Emma. She really could see the family resemblance in the walk. Zelena strode with power just like Regina, but Regina still wore it better. Everything about Zelena screamed "pretender to the throne."

"I'm sure there is," Zelena purred and her eyes said it all.

_Great, now I'm on a whole new level of uncomfortable_. Swallowing hard, Emma took a step back. If she could just get to the front door, she could leave and Regina could deal with this. Sure, Regina did not deserve it after a hard day's work, but Emma would rather not have another traumatic event in her life right now.

Zelena reached out, almost like she would touch Emma's face. Emma dipped back just out of reach and Zelena fingered her shirt instead, which was just as bad since she wore a tank top. She shuddered as she felt the brush of Zelena's unnaturally cold knuckles against her skin. Part of Emma wondered if she had just gotten cursed.

"Nice material." Zelena smiled.

"Yeah, it's called cotton," Emma replied, moving away, wanting to get out of Zelena's reach.

Chortling, Zelena flipped her hair a bit. "I can see how you could get Regina's attention. She has a thing for the soft butch type."

Emma scoffed, even though quite a few people had described her as soft butch or just plain butch. She did not see it. She considered herself tough. Those thoughts left her head as Zelena's hand went from her shirt to caressing her neck. Each chilling stroke made her skin crawl. She stepped away.

"Come now, why are you acting shy?" Zelena asked with a smile Emma was sure would scare a shark. "We both know you're not shy. I'm sure Regina has broken you in. There's no chance she'd marry you without making sure you could satisfy her."

"Yeah, her," Emma stated with a glare. _The hell is wrong with this woman? This is_ _obviously imbalanced "twin." Regina's mother sure has this parenting thing down._

Zelena made a face as if something smelled rotten. "She is nothing more than the shorter, whiner, less attractive version of me."

Emma had to fight the urge to laugh. Okay, so Regina's sister was completely and totally crazy and she doubted laughing at the obviously crazy person would help her situation. She could see why Regina would not want to associate with Zelena. Now, Emma needed to get away from the crazy before it got crazier. Unfortunately, Zelena was faster than she was and pounced.

Zelena's lips were on hers and Emma wondered what would happen if she threw up in Zelena's mouth. She was very close to doing that, especially when Zelena squeezed her breast to the point of pain. Retreat proved impossible as she backed against the front door. _Gods-be-damned! Why is the foyer so freaking small?_ Dipping her head, Emma moved to the side to escape.

"What the hell was that, lady?" Emma screamed, wiping her mouth with her whole forearm like a little kid.

"A taste of what's waiting. If you're happy with Regina, you'll be wild for me," Zelena purred and she winked.

Emma shuddered. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Perhaps you'll find out later. Make sure Regina knows Mother will not stand for her insolence and, if I were you, I would keep this little matter between us. Regina isn't the most rational being when jealous and I'm sure she'll destroy you should you mention this," Zelena said with a smirk and then took her leave.

"What the hell was that?" Emma screamed before running to the bathroom. She needed mouthwash, lots of mouthwash. Apparently, she needed the whole bottle of mouthwash and even then, her mouth still felt dirty.

_Seriously, what the hell was that? I mean, beyond crazy anyway. Do I tell Regina? If I do tell her, what the hell do I tell her? I don't get it_. Emma could not figure out for the life of her what that was. Splashing water on her face did not help.

"Okay, think, Emma. Do you tell Regina her sister was hitting on you? What does it help if you do? Clearly Zelena is up to something. Does she really want you or is this some plan or is she just that freaking jealous of Regina and she'll try to take anything she has? Did she really not want me to tell Regina or did she say that to make me go and tell Regina? Is it all mind games and shit? What the hell?" She scratched her head, but it did not help.

Emma paced the bathroom and her heart pounded in her chest. Rubbing her forehead, she felt like she could not think straight. Rushing out of the room, she grabbed her keys and almost drove into the town hall. She left the Bug sitting halfway on the sidewalk and ran to Regina's office, right past Regina's assistant, Tinker Bell, who did not even bother to say anything.

"Emma, what are you doing here?" Regina asked, looking up from her desk as she heard the door burst open. "And why are you dressed like that? Is Henry okay?"

Emma opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Regina arched an eyebrow and then got up from her desk. She cautiously approached Emma, who could only guess how panicked she had to look with the way Regina walked over to her. The concern on Regina's face slowly transformed as she drew closer.

"Emma, why the hell is there lipstick on your shirt?" Regina demanded quietly, murder in her eyes.

_The fuck?_ Emma's brain felt like it shut down and she did not know what to say. How to explain this?

"Your sister kissed me!" Emma blurted out and then closed her eyes. She did not want to see Regina smite her if that was coming.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: taking care of Zelena.


	16. Down a Peg

I don't own these characters.

16: Down a Peg

Mentally, Regina plotted a murder. For a brief moment, it was Emma's. The smeared lipstick on the shirt she had been wearing at home was suspicious. Of course, after she took a moment to think about it, why would Emma kiss someone and then run to her office without bothering to change and be rid of the evidence? Now, she plotted Zelena's death. Zelena was obviously up to something and had frightened Emma out of her mind as well as violated Emma's personal space.

"Zelena kissed you?" Regina asked _just_to be sure she heard right. _Hitting her with my car might be satisfying enough to where I won't care about the dents_.

"Yeah! She just showed up at the house and was really creepy and topped all of the creepy off with kissing me! What the hell?" Emma threw her arms up and waved them around like a crazy bird.

"I would need more background than that, Emma, to tell you 'what the hell'," Regina commented, reaching out to hold Emma's hand. She missed because Emma flailed her arms again.

"I can't remember everything because I was trying not to throw up while she was forcing her tongue in my mouth! Her tongue in my mouth, Regina! You secondary kissed your sister because of her!"

Regina rubbed her temples for a moment. "Okay. Before she managed to obviously disgust you and turn you into a crazy person, what did she do or say before that?"

Emma let out a long breath and scratched her forehead. "I dunno. She talked some smack about you and then said something about your mother not standing for something and then she was trying to put her tongue down my throat!" She pointed to herself, as if Regina needed a reminder of who she was.

"Okay, stop freaking out. She only did that to throw you off your game."

Emma stomped her foot. "Well, it worked! I'm completely thrown off. Like way off!"

Regina could not help rolling her eyes. "Well, you're clearly completely off. Don't worry. Zelena is trying to cause a rift between us. Probably on Mother's orders." _This is so juvenile_. She expected better of her mother.

Emma's face scrunched up. "So, she's not really into me?"

"Why, are you into her?" Regina countered with an arched eyebrow. She did not see the reason for that question beyond the fact that Emma might need her ego stroked. Usually, she had no problem with that, but she was not about to assure her wife of her attractiveness through her sister.

"No! Ew!" Emma's face twisted as she grimaced.

"Glad that's settled." Regina nodded. "Are you calm now?"

Emma took a deep breath and released it through her nose. Taking a moment, she rolled her neck and shoulders. "Yeah, I'm good. Wow, do you really think your mother put your sister up to that?"

"I'm not sure if Mother would tell Zelena to put her tongue in your mouth, but Zelena is seeking Mother's approval, so I'm sure in her damaged brain, this is her trying to get me to do what Mother wants and then Mother will credit her with getting me in line and suddenly she will have Mother's approval."

Emma's brow wrinkled. "Your sister's really messed up, huh?" 

"My mother couldn't possibly raise a child who wasn't damaged. The woman's motto in life is 'love is weakness.'"

Emma nodded. "Making my mother look better and better by the second."

"Yes. Do you want help dealing with her or do you have this?" Regina asked. She was used to Zelena and knew how to get rid of her older sister, but she did not want to make it seem like she needed to handle everything. She already scared off Neal. Emma probably needed to get this one.

Emma stared at Regina. "I just need to be sure, she's not really trying to get with me, right?"

"I doubt it. Zelena is married. Mother married her off to a rather irksome earl years ago. But, then again, maybe she is. She hates him," Regina replied.

Emma's shoulders dropped. "Regina, be serious."

"I am serious. Perhaps she and I have more in common than previously thought. I also hate her husband, for many of the same reasons as she does. I am attracted to you, so it's entirely possible she's also, especially since she is in an unhappy marriage. You could represent an opportunity for her to get revenge against me and help her escape an unwanted relationship."

"You're not helping!" Emma pulled at her hair.

Regina sighed. "I'm merely trying to tell you it's possible."

Emma frowned. "And I guess if you get all up in her face about it, that'll only make her want to do it more since part of it is pissing you off."

"That is extremely possible."

"I can handle this. I just want you to know, I don't want her and I didn't like kissing her. The reason I have a lipstick smear on the strap of my shirt is because I had to duck to get away from her," Emma explained.

Regina fought down a smile. She did not want Emma to know it was nice to hear she was preferred to her sister. She wanted to believe she was over that, even though she had been told it was hard to get over childhood traumas and such. She was better than Zelena and it had nothing to do with the fact that her father was a prince and Zelena's father was a gardener. She was able to get away and move on, though.

"What are you going to do?" Regina asked.

Emma shrugged. "I got it. Don't worry about it."

Emma waved the whole thing away, which was a bit disconcerting considering how worried Emma had been a few seconds ago. Regina wondered what Emma would do. Before she could question it, Emma moved the conversation along. She would just have to trust whatever harebrained scheme Emma had.

"Snow agreed to come this weekend. I don't want to go over the top for her, but I want her to get that we're in love and we're happy and Henry is awesome with us," Emma said with a smile.

"So, you want to flaunt and brag without doing as much?" Regina inquired with a little smirk. _Why the hell do I find even this adorable? _

Emma's brow furrowed. "Uh… can we do that?"

"Oh, Emma, my dear. It's cute that you have no idea," Regina commented, still smirking.

Emma folded her arms across her chest. "And you do?"

"Well, I can cook up a fabulous meal and take out my best wine, as if it's something we have all the time. You can play games with Henry. The one that makes him squeal happily and you two fight over each other's controllers. We can also watch a movie in the living room where we all take the couch, leaving Snow and her fiancé on the loveseat and at an angle where they would actually be looking at us if they focused straight ahead. Henry can sit in between us, where he puts his head on my shoulder and kicks his feet up on you and it gives you a chance to put your arm around both of us. We can finish it off with one of your board games. We can even let Henry stay up an extra hour, which he'll love."

Emma arched an eyebrow. "Damn, have you been planning this out or did this just come to you right away?"

"Little of both. Always be prepared, my dear. We should behave naturally, but do things that showcase our family. Are you going to give them a tour of the town as well?"

"Yeah. I think David will really like this place. For a prince, he's actually cool."

Regina nodded, even though she had no idea Emma felt this way about her future brother-in-law. She would have to put something together to make this truly special. While she doubted Emma would admit to wanting to impress Snow and David, she was certain this was what the blond wanted. And while she would never admit it aloud, she was all about giving Emma what she wanted.

"Anything else?" Regina asked.

Emma rubbed her forehead in thought for a moment. "Uh… no. I guess that's all. But, just to be sure, I'm not in trouble because of this Zelena thing, right?" Her hazel eyes pleaded with Regina to understand.

"No, you're not." _By the Fates, I don't think she'll ever get in trouble with that look_.

A small, almost devious smile curled onto Emma's face. "And I can totally handle this my way?" 

"Yes."

"Then we're good."

Emma gave Regina a kiss farewell and then was gone. Regina felt like she might have missed something or should have put up some rules, but she shook that off. As she sat down at her desk, she gagged.

"By the Fates, she gave me a secondary kiss from Zelena." Regina had to fight off gagging even more. Usually, she would think this was childish, but the very idea of kissing the same person as her sister was beyond disgusting. Thankfully, her office had a bathroom and she kept a toothbrush there just for emergencies. _And, Emma would say I'm way too prepared_.

-8-8-8-8-

Emma wished she knew where Zelena was because she was certain she could get this monkey off of her back immediately. _Granny's_ was always a good place to start. There were a couple of other hotels around, but _Granny's_ was very popular. Plus, she could hang out with Ruby for a few minutes. But, first, she went home to get dressed and then set out on her wild goose chase.

"Hey, Emma. Where's the pup?" Ruby asked with a smile as Emma sat at the counter.

"School isn't out yet," Emma answered, pointing to the clock ahead of her.

Ruby glanced back. "So it's not. Guess I'm used to you coming in here with Henry in the late afternoon. So, what's up? We're hanging out this weekend or you spending time with the wife?"

Emma chuckled. "Nah. My sister's actually coming for a visit this weekend." _Oh, shit. Did I just say my sister?_

"Your sister?" Ruby stared at her with her mouth slightly turned up. "I didn't know you had a sister."

_Fuck, I did. Okay, I guess there's no going back now_. _I can just swear Ruby to secrecy later_. "Yeah, it's not something I advertise or anything. Actually, I'd appreciate if you don't mention this to anyone else."

Ruby shrugged. "No problem."

Emma resisted the urge to scoff. "If she wants to check out the local nightlife, though, you know I'll give you a call and we'll show her a good time. Maybe Regina will even join us. She can't possibly think we're going to do anything debauched with my sister around."

Ruby laughed. "Unless, of course, your sister is like you."

Emma had to laugh at that. Her sister was constantly introduced and described as "pure as the driven snow." She doubted that person would be the debauched one between them. _Wait, no, actually, she probably would_. Emma had met way more debauched "holy" people in her life than anyone else. Still, she doubted Snow was in their rankings.

"I think Regina worries more about you corrupting me than me doing anything," Emma remarked.

Ruby scoffed. "Like I could talk you into anything."

"Oh, yeah, because I'm the poster child for self-control." Rolling her eyes, Emma laughed. "Anyway, I'll call you about it over the weekend when I find out what's up."

Ruby nodded. "So, sister, huh?" 

"Yeah, and like I said, keep it under wraps, so let's not mention it again. Okay?" Emma did not want to make it seem like a very big deal or Ruby would never stop mentioning it, but she needed Ruby to understand this needed to stay between them. _Stupid big mouth of mine. Why did I have to say sister?_

Once more, Ruby nodded. It seemed just as sincere, too, but Emma would have to wait and see if that was the case. "I always wanted a sister. A younger one so I could blame everything on her and Granny could get on her case."

Emma shook her head. "Didn't you do that with Graham?"

"Yeah, but a younger sister would've looked a lot cuter while I was doing it."

Emma laughed, trying to imagine Ruby with a younger version of herself hanging around. She knew they would have had a lot of fun. Of course, Ruby growing up with Graham, who enjoyed playing the role of "big brother" and also "fun cousin" was probably a lot of fun as well. Then, she shook her head, ridding herself of the thought.

"Hey, Ruby, I need you to keep an eye out for a newcomer. Redhead with an attitude that will remind you of a certain mayor, but in a creepy way," Emma said.

Ruby leaned on the counter, closer to Emma. "A redheaded Regina? I'm both intrigued and frightened."

"Trust me, be more frightened."

"What's with you and newcomers anyway? They following you around or something? You wanted by the government?"

Emma scoffed. "If only I could be so lucky." Of course, in a way, she was wanted by the government, which was part of why life was so annoying.

Ruby only laughed. Emma decided to leave and go search on her own. Storybrooke was not so big that she might not be able to just stumble across Zelena. They even had a high-end district, so Emma drove around there for a little while. No luck, though.

"Lemme go get the kid and just hang out. I'm sure Zelena will make her presence known around here eventually," Emma said, turning the car around.

-8-8-8-8-

Regina packed up, ready to go home. The door opened and she glanced up, wondering who would dare enter her office without her permission. She doubted it was Emma, as there was no reason for Emma to do it twice in one day. No, this disturbance was much worse than Emma. It was a sneering Zelena, which was possibly the second worst possible scenario. Her mother showing up was the first, of course.

"Oh, dear, this is exactly what I imagined this office to look like. Your taste remains abysmal, in offices and lovers," Zelena commented with her nose in the air.

"Says the woman who kissed my wife," Regina countered with an arched eyebrow.

Zelena frowned for a moment and then made it a point to look like she swallowed something bitter. "Is that what she told you?"

"Do you deny it?"

"Of course." Zelena waved it off. "By the gods, what good does it do me to kiss your scruffy wife?"

Regina rolled her eyes. She could call Zelena out, but Zelena would only lie about it and deny everything. Instead, she would rather get to what Zelena wanted and therefore not have to see her sister for a long time now.

"What are you doing here, Zelena?" Regina inquired, marching over to her. She could not intimidate Zelena like she did others. After all, Zelena used the same techniques and Zelena thought she was better at using them than Regina. But, she needed to show Zelena she was not afraid or nervous.

"You know why I'm here," Zelena replied.

"No, I really don't, which is why I asked. I know Mother wouldn't have sent you. You're coming on your own, but claiming to be her emissary?" She gave her sister a smirk, knowing that would make a dent.

Zelena glared at her. "There is no claim. You think you beat Mother, but we both know that's not the case. Why would you throw everything away for this?" Green eyes tracked the office with a sneer.

"I haven't thrown anything away. If you want so badly to be queen, go see the King. Your husband can get you an audience." Regina smirked even more.

Zelena frowned and tensed. Internally, Regina had to laugh. Zelena had been led to believe her entire life she could not be something the King would want. Of course, considering his many other motives for wanting Regina, he probably would not want Zelena, but it was not due to her birth. If she worked on it, surely she could seduce the King. _Wouldn't that complicate an already complicated family unit? _But, their mother had already drilled it into Zelena's head that she could never be more than what she was right now, and even that she owed to their mother. Regina was almost the same.

Zelena stepped closer, getting in Regina's face. "Regina, I will destroy you if necessary," she vowed.

Sighing, Regina waved the threat off. "Why? Do you honestly think this will get Mother's approval? Mother doesn't want me destroyed. She doesn't want you destroyed." Their mother, as misguided as she was, wanted what she thought was best for both of her daughters. Unfortunately, what she thought was best was linked to social status and power. Nothing more. If anything, she should have learned social status and power did not always equal happiness or security.

"But, you would destroy her?" Zelena hissed, making sure to stay in Regina's face. "You're nothing but a spoiled brat. She gave you everything and you just throw it all in her face! You're an ingrate!"

Regina scowled and pointed to herself. She glared at her older sister. "No, I'm free. It's the only thing I ever wanted from her. I wanted to be free to live my life. She lived hers. Why should she get mine as well?"

Zelena dared to put her finger in Regina's face. "You were going to be Queen!"

Rolling her eyes, Regina sucked her teeth. "And what good would that have done me? I would have been his pretty toy. Something to be shown off and displayed? Something to be used and bred? How do you like that when you go out with the wonderful Earl Gaston? Are you not some well-mannered, pretty bauble for him to display?"

"This isn't about me!" Zelena screamed, her eyes wild with fury.

"Then who is this about? You don't give a damn about me. Do you really care about the fact that I have something over Mother? Or do you wish you were the one to break her chains? Do you wish you were the one to have something over her?" Regina folded her arms across her chest. She was not even sure which it was and she doubted Zelena knew either.

Zelena mimicked the move and managed to settle herself. "Do you truly think you've gotten over on Mother? All you did was buy yourself a little time to continue being a brat. Mother will come back and you will rue the day you crossed her. Do you truly think she will leave you and your little blond whore off the hook?"

Regina growled. "Do not call Emma a whore."

"Isn't that what she is? Your pretty little whore," she pronounced each word with precise deliberation.

For a moment, Regina squeezed her arm, but then she took a discreet breath. This was what Zelena wanted from her. She would not lose her cool. She was ahead of her sister and her mother. The second she allowed herself to be angry, she would make a misstep and there was too much at stake for her to do that. So, it was probably best to end this interaction.

"If Mother wants to come at me again, she can. If you want to come at me, you can. We'll see how it goes down," Regina said, grabbing her briefcase.

"See how it goes down?" Zelena chuckled. "She's even dumbed down your vocabulary."

"And yet I find myself much less miserable than you could ever imagine," Regina replied and then made her way out of the office. She could not and would not let her sister get to her. Zelena was just as jealous as always, jealous Regina escaped their mother's orbit, jealous Regina had the life she wanted, and jealous someone loved Regina enough to defy their mother.

Zelena turned and followed. "You're nothing, Regina. Merely a mistake Mother made," she hissed.

Regina spun around and glared at her as hard as she could. She wanted to set fire to Zelena with her gaze. "No, you're the mistake Mother made and she made sure you knew that every single second of your life."

It was petty and horrible to say, but it struck Zelena like a bullet. She winced and then reeled back in shock. Regina fled the building on that note and went to her car. She drove home and made sure to hug Henry extra-tightly the moment she saw him. He grinned at her.

"Mom, you can help me with my science project. Emma's hopeless." Henry grabbed her by the hand, pulling her to the living room. There were dozens of loose papers on the coffee table, undoubtedly all ideas for his science project.

Regina chuckled. "She sure is, dear."

Emma stood by the living room entrance and smiled at them. "I don't know what I'm doing here."

"Henry's already said as much," Regina replied.

Emma pretended to sigh heavily. "He's always ratting me out."

"It's all right. We'll all come up with something," Regina assured her. It was nice to see Emma did not freak out over not knowing.

Emma nodded and they all sat down to help Henry come up with a science project. This was what she had that Zelena and her mother would never understand. She never wanted to force Henry into some life he obviously did not want. She just wanted him to grow up into a man who could take care of himself and do things in life that made him happy. She hoped to guide him into being a good person, but life decisions, especially when he was older, he should get to handle those, just like he could decide on a science project. She could weigh in and help, but it was his decision to make.

-8-8-8-8-

Emma grabbed Regina from behind just as they closed the door to Henry's room. Regina chuckled and Emma held her close. They managed to waddle down to the bedroom without falling or making any noise to wake up Henry. Emma managed to kick the door shut and keep her hold on Regina.

"Is this what science class is gonna be like for the next ten years?" Emma asked with a chuckle.

"You're lucky he was happy with the potato clock idea. Last year, since it was his first ever science project, he wanted to build a working model of a dragon," Regina replied.

Emma laughed. "The kid has ambition, at least. And how did he plan to build this working dragon?" 

"I have no idea beyond 'Mom, they sell 'em right at the store!' He didn't quite grasp what he needed to do," Regina said with a smile.

"Did he end up making the working model of the dragon or did you end up buying whatever he thought was a working model of a dragon?"

"We made a large model of the dragon and then showed a cross section of it with labels and such," Regina explained. "It took more work than either of us anticipated, but he was very happy with it in the end."

Emma smiled and held Regina even tighter. She tickled her smaller wife a bit and her heart felt light when Regina laughed, honestly laughed like she did with only Emma and Henry. She wanted this life, helping their son with his science project, even if she did not know what to do, and every little thing in between. Snow would see this and then leave her alone hopefully about it. Then, maybe they could move on and try being sisters.

"I love you so much," Emma said, kissing Regina's cheek.

"I love you, too, princess." Regina turned in Emma's arms and gave her a proper kiss. "This is everything I ever wanted, my love. Thank you."

Emma grinned. "You don't have to thank me. I never imagined this could be like this."

Regina sighed. "I didn't either."

Emma tilted her head a bit. "You saw your sister today?" There was something about the way Regina looked at her, there was more there than usual.

"I did and I told her she just wanted me to be miserable like she was. I would have done just that, Emma, and then you came along." Regina took a moment to caress Emma's cheek and stared directly into her eyes. "I thought Henry was the only thing I could have in this life to bring me joy and then you came along, showed me life is beyond misery and suffering all the time. There's more to life. I've dreamed it, but you've shown me it."

Emma smiled and felt like there was light dancing inside of her. It was amazing to know she could give someone like Regina everything she could want in life. She had been nothing for her whole life, nobody, but she was everything to the woman who mattered.

"We're going to make it through all of this," Emma promised. "Forty years from now, you'll still be calling me an idiot and I'll be laughing about you looking for your glasses, which will be on your head."

Regina shook her head and frowned, looking slightly sour. "I will never be looking for my glasses."

Emma scoffed. "Regina, I've already seen you do it before. I just don't tell you they're on your head."

Regina glared at her and she laughed again. She pulled Regina back to her, kissing Regina's neck. Regina actually giggled. The sound was magical.

"We won't be acting this way when Snow comes to town," Regina told her.

"Really? I figured if I could tickle you in front of her and tease you a bit, she'd get how amazing we are together really quick," Emma remarked. Of course, Snow might faint if she saw Emma tickling Regina and then swear the whole thing was a dream.

"Yes, well, that's not going to happen. We're going to do as I planned and nothing more. You attempt to get out of line and you'll…" An evil smirk settled on Regina's face and she winked. "Well, you won't like it."

Emma wiggled her eyebrows. There was something incredibly sexy about Regina's dark side. "Oh, I think I would like it a lot." She clutched Regina's ass.

"You won't because it doesn't involve that." Regina removed Emma's hands and walked away, making sure to sway that wonderful ass as she did so. Emma followed because she would be crazy not to.

"Can it involve that attitude, though? I'll be really good… or bad? Whichever one is required for this attitude," Emma commented, semi-serious. She would not be opposed to expanding their sexual play, even though it was fairly broad already.

"Have I mentioned you're awful?" Regina sat down on the bed and crossed her legs as the ankle.

"Is that what I need to be for the attitude?" Emma asked. While she doubted this part of the conversation would last longer, she decided to keep it in mind. She would love to explore that attitude more often.

Regina rolled her eyes. "On a serious note, have you spoken to your sister? I would like to know if she and David will be staying one day or the whole weekend?"

"The whole weekend."

"Then I'll plan meals for Friday's dinner, Saturday, and Sunday. Will they stay for dinner on Sunday?"

"Yup."

"Good."

Emma sat down next to her. "I was thinking on Saturday, we go out for dinner. Something simple, like _Granny's_. It's fun."

"Will Snow think so, though?"

"I think so. She's not as horrible as she comes across." It felt weird having to say that. Weirder still was that most people liked Snow, even though she did have a talent for saying and doing the wrong thing. Maybe it was because she was the Heir or maybe most people just understood what Snow intended rather than examine the execution of it.

"All right, dear. Anything else?"

"Can you make your lasagna? That'll turn heads."

Regina smiled. "Of course."

"With that settled…" Emma grabbed Regina again. "Come here!" She pulled Regina into her lap and kissed her. Regina wasted no time kissing her back. She got a little brave and grabbed Regina's ass again. This time, her hands got to stay where they were.

-8-8-8-8-

Emma had a good night and a good sleep, so it stood to reason her waking afternoon would not be so good. After all, who had two good days in a row? Certainly not her.

She had barely been up for ten minutes when the doorbell rang. For a moment, she thought it might be Graham, messing with her about their shifts. She would not put it past him, especially since a couple of nights ago, she rang his doorbell a bunch of times in the middle of the night and ran away laughing at the top of her lungs. _We need to start acting like adults_. Groaning, she marched to the door with a half-eaten bagel in her hand and opened it. Zelena was on her before she even realized who it was at the door.

"The hell?" Emma mumbled as she ripped herself away for the obviously insane woman. "You taste like you drank the entire bar."

"You kiss Regina and I'm sure she tastes like she drank an entire blood orchard," Zelena hissed.

Emma shrugged and walked further into the house. On a certain days, yeah, Regina did taste like apples. It was not a bad thing… unless she made a joke about an apple a day and doctors. Then, Regina got all pissy for whatever reason.

"You think you're too good for me?" Zelena demanded, slamming the door behind her. She pointed a long finger at Emma. "You're nobody! You're nothing! Regina is nothing as well!"

Emma spun around. This was all about Regina. Zelena wanted to hurt Regina, wanted to ruin Regina. Emma would never let that happen. After all, just last night, she had already planned out forty years together with Regina. They would grow old together, be grandmothers together, and maybe even lose their glasses together. _So, I need to make this go away before it hurts Regina_.

Emma smirked. "I am nothing. Just a little bit of nothing from the wrong side of the tracks and this intrigues you, doesn't it?"

Zelena scoffed and turned her nose up. "You don't intrigue me."

"Oh, I know I do. I know about rich bitches like you." Emma put her bagel down on the nearest surface, making a mental note to clean it later or Regina would definitely kill her. Then, she invaded Zelena's personal space, backing her against the wall.

Zelena glared down at her, eyes hazed and a little scared. Emma pressed just close enough for their bodies to touch slightly. For a moment, Emma could not help thinking about when she and Regina were like this, constantly in each other's faces, at each other's throats. Somehow, it seemed like she and Regina used to get closer than this, but that was fine. She did not want to be too close to Zelena, after all.

Emma could not feel Zelena's heartbeat, but she could see her pulse in her throat. She heard Zelena swallow, practically gulp. She talked a big game, but she did not really want Emma. No, she only wanted to upset Regina and if she could do that through Emma, it was fine.

"I can give you what you want. Callous fingers inside of you," Emma hissed, putting a hand to Zelena's throat. "With my other hand here, pressing you down and fucking you hard like the bitch you are."

"How dare you—" Zelena growled until Emma pressed a little harder on her throat. She could feel Zelena's heart racing just under her fingertips.

"How dare you act like that's not what you want? Didn't you kiss me? Don't you want me to fucking ruin you? Take you upstairs right now and fuck you in your sister's bed? I will. She wouldn't have to know. Your mother wouldn't have to know. Just me, you, and your husband because nothing that bastard does will be able to make you come again."

Zelena shuddered. "I don't…"

"Don't you?" Emma snarled. "You think you're the first rich bitch to throw herself at me?"

"You wouldn't. Regina…" The protest was low, weak. Maybe Emma was hearing things, but it seemed like Zelena whimpered.

"Isn't here. And, like I said, you won't tell her. After all, she'd make a scene and your mother will find out and you'll both regret that, right?" Emma imagined Zelena would be in a lot more trouble than Regina with this mother they both feared should it get out that Zelena slept with Regina's wife.

She felt Zelena swallow against her hand. "Regina might be your whore, but I'm not."

Emma chuckled darkly. "I could make you my bitch right now and you'd fucking love me for it. You'd love me. I'd fuck you and call you Regina and I bet everything you'd come so _hard_ you'd pass out."

Zelena pushed away. "I'm not your whore," she hissed again.

Emma smirked. "But, you want to be. You want me to take you upstairs right now and treat you like I treat any bitch off the street. I could feel you shudder when I said I'd call you Regina while I did it. You want that. I can already imagine how wet you are. So, how about you go upstairs and wait for me while I finish this?" Emma stepped back. She grabbed her bagel and bit into it.

Zelena turned around and Emma held her breath. The older woman marched off, heading for the door. She slammed it shut behind her and Emma's shoulders slumped as she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Shit. I'd have been fucked if she went upstairs," Emma muttered, shaking her head. Then she noticed the crumbs where she had set her bagel down. "Shit. I better clean this up or I'll be fucked when Regina comes home… and not in the way I want." She set about cleaning up after herself.

-8-8-8-8-

Regina could see Zelena standing in the Town Hall parking lot. Zelena stayed next to her car with her arms wrapped around herself as if she was cold. Regina figured eventually her sister would come in to taunt her, bait her, do something. But, Zelena just stood there, trembling from what Regina could tell. Regina decided to grab the bull by the horns, marching out to meet Zelena head on. Zelena looked almost haunted when she saw Regina, but then she recovered… to a degree, anyway.

"You are not better than me!" Zelena practically bellowed, pointing at Regina. This was a surprising bark and almost an acknowledgment of Zelena's hidden fears.

"Zelena, is there something you want?" Regina inquired in a calm tone, arms folded across her chest.

Licking her lips, Zelena continued pointing at Regina with a shaking hand. Regina glanced at the limb and only then did it occur to Zelena to withdraw it. The quivering showed signs of weakness, after all. Zelena wrapped arms around herself again.

"You're not better than me and I want nothing to do with you, but you should know this isn't over. This is far over, Regina. You haven't beaten Mother. She will get what she wants. We both know that. Why the pretense?" Zelena demanded, angrier than usual. There was a catch in her voice and her eyes had that feral quality that they sometimes took.

"The show and the pomp are for you and Mother. There is no pretense here. I live in the real world, Zelena, and it's more precious than the glitz and glam of the world you and Mother desire. I would never presume to beat Mother at her own game. We both know that. But, for now, I'm in the lead and it's killing you." Regina smirked. Although, she suspected something else was killing Zelena. Her older sister was much too undone right now and had been when she arrived. No, something else happened before this encounter.

Mother would always be there. Regina could not escape that, but she could stay one step ahead of her, as she was now. It would bother Zelena and she would keep coming back, trying to throw a wrench into things. With this thought, Regina took a moment to study her sister further because something was very wrong and Regina would love to figure out what it was. Maybe one day she could use it to make things worse when her sister bothered.

Why did Zelena not come to her office if she wanted to throw a wrench in things? Instead, she waited outside, body slightly shaking despite the warmth of the afternoon. Why did she look so furious when nothing happened yet? No, something had happened and it was not her. Something had shaken her sister. _Emma_. Only Emma could make a person lose her cool to the point it was easily detectable. _Emma has gotten to her_. For some reason, this thought raised Regina up.

"I'm in the lead, Zelena, and you're so far behind you're about to get lapped. I think I'll take my chances," Regina commented confidently and then she strode off like she ruled the world. Zelena did not even screech after her. Emma really was something else.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Snow and David arrive in Storybrooke.


	17. Heart to Heart

I don't own these characters.

17: Heart to Heart

Emma thought she was in trouble. Regina came home all fire and fluff, which was weird and somewhat scary. She ordered pizza for dinner, with pepperoni and sausage, just how Emma liked it, let Henry have soda, and did not say a word when Emma ate three slices. Regina even agreed to watch a horror movie with her after Henry went to bed. This was much too much nice in one evening. Something was up. This was a setup or maybe that was her last meal. _Gods-be-damned, she's gonna kill me. She knows what I said to her sister and she's gonna kill me_.

Figuring she would find out sooner or later and she should make the best of her last night, Emma put on the movie while Regina went to retrieve a wine she felt went well Friday the 13th, the original. Emma thought no such wine existed, but then again, she felt the same way about wine with pizza until Regina came into her life. As soon as the start menu appeared, Regina returned with two glasses of wine in her hands and she straddled Emma's lap.

Emma narrowed her gaze. "Okay, what's up?" _Maybe I should save the questions until after sex… if sex is in the near future anyway_.

"Whatever do you mean?" Regina inquired, pressing one of the wine glasses into her hand.

"You got pizza for dinner and now we're watching a horror movie. We both know you don't like horror movies, even if they're as cheesy as this one is. And, now, you're in my lap like we're gonna do something that doesn't really involve watching this movie," Emma pointed out.

"I wanted to do something nice for you, dear."

Emma's brow wrinkled. "Why?"

A light laugh escaped Regina. "Because I love you? What do you mean 'why'? You act as if I never do anything nice for you."

Emma smiled and pressed her free hand to the small of Regina's back. "You don't usually announce it and you don't do things like this, so what's the occasion? I'm not forgetting an anniversary already, am I?" _Please let me be forgetting an anniversary. She doesn't need to know what went down with her sister_.

"No, nothing of the sort. Consider this a little celebration." Regina leaned her forehead against Emma's for a moment.

"And what are we celebrating?" Hopefully, the celebrating involved couch sex. And, also hopefully, she would not be gutted after the couch sex.

"I don't know what you did, but you singlehandedly drove the second-most difficult woman I have ever met out of town," Regina commented with a smile. There was a devilish glint in her eye, like she knew something evil had gone down.

"Did she…" Emma gulped. "Did she tell you what happened?" _Oh, no, my voice cracked there. Shit_. If Regina did not know what happened already, she would know something crazy went down now. 

Regina studied her face. "No, but you will tell me right now. What did you do?" This was a demand. It was calm, but her tone brokered no argument.

_Shit_. Emma winced and looked away. Regina pressed her hand to Emma's face and forced her to turn back. The hand did not hurt, but there was some pressure there. Emma gulped again as she stared into Regina's eyes.

"Well, you know how she kissed me, right?" Emma asked. _That's a good way to start off the story, right? If I start it good, maybe she won't kill me in the end. I should remind her that she told me I could take care of it. She gave me her permission. She practically let me do it! _She knew shifting blame would probably only make it worse. Both she and Henry had gotten into enough trouble from trying to blame things on someone else. _Shit_.

"You told me this, princess," Regina replied.

"I know. I'm just setting the stage. So, she kissed me, hoping it would drive a wedge between us and you told me how she's basically wanted to be like you in the eyes of your mother, so I just sort of flipped these things on her."

Regina's brow wrinkled as she arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

A long sigh escaped Emma. "She wanted to be the aggressor, so I became aggressive. She rushed me at the door and kissed me. I think she was drinking, so you might have done something to throw her off her game, but then I completely went in another direction with her. I pressed her up against the wall and told her I'd fuck her brains out. In fact, I told her I'd do it our bed and I'd call her Regina while I did it. I think I scared her because she ran out of here like her ass was on fire."

Regina sighed and shook her head. "Oh, Emma."

"What? It worked." _Shit. I probably shouldn't have told her I did that. Now, she'll be pissed at me. Shit. Is this one of those things where I'll have to sleep on the couch? Or worse, would she leave me for this? I mean, it's not like I actually want to fuck her creepy sister_.

Surprisingly, Regina laughed. "Yes, it did. You rattled her so badly she came to my office, but had no idea what to do. She was very flustered. She was shaking when she came to see me."

Emma had to fight very hard not to look proud from that information. "Wow. I didn't think I got to her that much. She practically ran out of here, though. I was really vulgar with her."

Regina smiled. "I wish I had seen it."

"I don't think you'd have liked it. Like I said, I was very vulgar. I mean, I literally told her I'd fuck her hard. She didn't like it." Emma shook her head. She did not want to talk about this, though. She did not care about Zelena, especially if she was gone, and especially if she was not in trouble over it. "What about you? Would you like it if I fucked you hard?" she growled and then nipped at Regina's neck. Her hand at Regina's back slid lower, tucking into Regina's pants.

"Promises, promises," Regina teased.

Emma growled again and leaned over, making sure to keep Regina on her lap, but needing to put down the damned wine glass. She also took charge of Regina's glass, putting it down next to hers. With that done, she pressed her lips to Regina's mouth. A hand slid up Regina's leg, caressing her thigh. Regina moaned into her mouth and it tasted so good.

"I love you," Emma whispered, kissing her way down Regina's throat.

"I love you, too, princess." Regina ran one hand through Emma's hair while the other caressed Emma's cheek.

Emma dipped her head more, wanting to get at Regina's wonderful cleavage. Trusting to Regina to hold herself up, Emma moved her hand from Regina's ass to pop open the buttons of Regina's shirt. Since Regina already wore most of her shirts with two to three buttons open, it was not hard. _Oh, we're gonna do it on the couch. Sweet_.

Just as Emma was about to go for one prize, there were footsteps on the stairs. Henry charged into the living room while Regina hopped off of Emma and quickly buttoned her shirt. He made a beeline for Regina and Emma paused the movie. Henry curled into Regina, shaking against her.

"Aw, what happened, dear?" Regina whispered to Henry, caressing his back and shoulders.

"Bad nightmare." His voice shook.

Regina cuddled him and Emma took over rubbing his back. He fell back to sleep within a few minutes, but Regina held onto him. Emma did not mind. It was great to be a part of this comforting process. Maybe one day Henry would come to her when he was scared. More than that, she was happy he had someone to come to when he had nightmares.

"You're smiling," Regina pointed out. "What are you thinking about?"

Emma shook her head. "Just… this is what I wanted for the kid when I put him up for adoption. I wanted him to have a nice family. I wanted him to be surrounded by love and kindness and be able to trust the people taking care of him. Now, I'm happy I can be a part of his nice family."

"You should know you've enhanced this family, princess. Henry's been able to do things with you that were only done for special occasions, because I wasn't very good at them, especially his video games. You're much more enthused about the comic books than I could ever be and he appreciates that. You've helped give him the family he deserves."

Emma smiled before leaning down to give Regina a soft kiss. Regina sighed and pressed herself close to Emma, careful of waking Henry, though. Emma wasted no time holding Regina tight with one arm and she brushed Henry's hair out of his face with her free hand. This was everything. Not just everything she ever wanted, but everything in general. Hopefully, Snow would see this when she visited and it would get her to stop interfering. They could move forward, then.

-8-8-8-8-

"Why do I gotta wear my Priory clothes?" Henry asked, tugging at his tie. "You guys getting married again?" His eyes sparkled at the thought.

"No, we're not getting married again," Regina replied, but it was a thought to save for later. Maybe when everything was peaceful and calm, they could have a real ceremony, something out in the open with the sun beaming down on them and a blue sky giving its blessing. But, first, they had to get through the weekend of playing hosts to the country's favorite couple.

"You're going to meet two very special people today," Emma told him. She pulled at her collar as well.

Regina rolled her eyes and fixed Emma's shirt. The blond fiddled with her outfit as much as Henry did. It had taken much hard work and many dirty promises to get Emma into the elegant, cream-colored button-down shirt with tan slacks and appropriate heels. While Emma could and had dressed up, it was always a pain.

"Now, both of you, stop fidgeting," Regina said, giving Emma and Henry a stern look.

They glanced at each other and Regina was almost certain they shared a telepathic link because they gave her the same apologetic look, complete with pouty lips. Perhaps it was genetic. Whatever the case, she decided to ignore them to avoid having her sympathies played upon.

Once Regina was certain they were both presentable, she turned her attention to the front door, waiting for the bell. Snow and David were in the driveway and had been for a few minutes, talking. The little family of three waited, glancing out of the window every now and then for a sign the royal couple were coming to the door.

"Do you think they're arguing?" Emma asked.

"It did not appear that way when last I checked, but it is possible. Although, I am not sure what they might be arguing over," Regina answered.

"Maybe wearing their Priory clothes," Henry said.

Emma laughed and more than likely wanted to jump in. Before Emma voiced any assumptions though, the bell finally sounded. Regina glanced at Emma and Henry once more, making sure they were perfect, and then she opened the door. While jackets hid both members of the royal couple, Regina could already see they had their wires crossed. She and her family were dressed formally while David clearly had on jeans and boots. Nonetheless, they moved forward.

"Regina," Snow smiled and went in for a hug before Regina could react.

Regina could hear Emma snicker behind her. Emma would pay for laughing later. Right now, Regina did her best to relax and tried exceptionally hard not to push the Heir to the Throne away from her.

"Your highness," Regina said, hoping to bring things back to the line she planned on. "Come in, please."

"Thank you, and please, you don't have to call me 'your highness.' You were almost my stepmother, after all," Snow commented with a smile. David frowned at her. "I mean, you're my sister-in-law now, too."

Regina and Emma exchanged a look. Maybe the royal couple had been arguing outside or maybe David was not as much of an imbecile as Regina always assumed and he managed to give the Heir a talking to. Henry stepped up.

"May I take your coats?" Henry offered with outstretched arms and a grin.

"Thank you, Henry," Snow said as she popped open the buttons of her coat. "Do you remember me?" she asked with a grin.

Henry's brow furrowed. He was not likely to remember the princess. He had only met her a couple of times and it was years ago. Neither Leopold nor his daughter had been very much inclined to come to town to see Regina during their long engagement and Regina never wanted to share Henry with them when she went to the capital.

"That's a sharp tie you got there, little guy," David commented as he slid Snow's coat off her shoulders and laid it in Henry's waiting arms. He then did the same with his coat. At least he was wearing a solid, dark blue button down shirt, but it was still much too casual for Regina's taste.

"My mom made me wear it," Henry said honestly. "I usually only wear it when we go to Priory, which isn't very often."

David laughed while Regina shook her head. Emma laughed as well. Henry could barely manage the coats, so Emma helped him while Regina motioned to the dining room. She had gone all out on this dinner: turkey, mashed potatoes, rice and beans, string beans, biscuits, salad with homemade dressing, and yams with marshmallows.

"Whoa," David muttered as he took in the spread.

"Please, have a seat," Regina said. She wanted to point out where they should seat, but this was not done with the royal couple. They sat where they wanted, end of story.

"This looks amazing," Snow said, taking the seat next to Emma. David sat across from her, which put him next to Henry. Regina shrugged and sat at the head of the table, as she usually did.

"Thank you," Regina said.

"Mom's turkey is really good. Better than the stuff they serve at _Granny's_, but don't tell Granny I said that," Henry said.

The adults laughed, even though Snow and David had no idea what he meant. Henry made sure there was never a dull moment in the dinner. He went into how great his science project was coming along and explained it all to the royal couple without them asking. Regina and Emma only smiled.

"It sounds like you'll win the science fair," Snow commented with a smile.

Henry shrugged. "My moms helped, so I should."

"It's amazing you consider Emma your mother," Snow said.

Regina could not believe those words left her mouth and from the way Emma's jaw dropped, she could not believe it either. David glared at Snow from across the table. Snow did not seem to notice or was damned good at ignoring the tension spike in the room.

Henry's brow furrowed and he scratched his head. "Huh? Emma's my mama."

"It might as well come out," Regina said. Obviously, Emma never bothered to explain Henry was her biological son, but this did not surprise her. Emma played everything close and when sober, Emma always made it clear she thought of Regina as Henry's mother.

"Really?" Emma asked with her forehead slightly wrinkled.

"What's the point in hiding it, love? Eventually, she will have to know," Regina replied. Emma wanted to save her relationship with Snow, so it was best to lay it all out.

Emma frowned. "Fine." Sighing, Emma turned her attention to Snow. "After my mother died and you and your father popped up into my life, I went looking for the son I gave up for adoption. He wasn't so hard to find." Emma glanced at Henry.

"So, where was he?" Snow asked.

Regina suddenly thought she might need more wine and probably headache medication. She glanced at David since he seemed to have more of a grip on the situation than Snow, but he looked just as eager and curious as Snow. _Yes, more wine and I will get headache medication, for both me and Emma later_.

"Henry is my biological son. Looking for him is how I met Regina," Emma replied, somehow managing to hold back on adding "duh." Regina made a mental note of it and decided she would reward Emma later on for her restraint. It was nice to see her controlling herself, especially at this moment.

"But, you said…" Snow trailed off.

"I know what I said," Emma growled. It was like Snow did not know what a lie was or did not think people were capable of lying. "Look, this is how it is. I wasn't ready for a baby and Henry would've suffered if he remained my kid. Regina's done a wonderful job with him." Regina smiled and sat up a little straighter.

Henry chimed in. "Mom is the best, but it's been fun since Mama showed up."

"Mom is the best," Emma agreed, throwing a smile Regina's way.

"Wait, so Henry is your son?" Snow inquired, pointing back and forth between Emma and Henry.

"Yes, Henry is my son," Emma stated.

"So, how long have you been… seeing them?" Snow asked.

"Over a year. Actually, almost two years now," Emma answered.

This information seemed to shock the guests enough to not pursue the subject further. Henry went back to filling the air, talking about his comic books, how big his collection was, how often he and his mothers shopped for them, and how often they all read them together. Before they even realized it, the meal was over. Regina served apple pie and ice cream for dessert.

"That was good," David declared after scraping up the last bit of pie on his plate. He smiled and patted his belly. "I am full."

"It was lovely," Snow agreed in a much quieter tone.

"Mister David, do you want to see my video games? I can beat Mama in some of them," Henry stated proudly.

David chuckled. "Sure, why not?"

Regina glanced at Emma, silently wanting to know if David was the sort they could leave alone with Henry. Emma nodded, so Regina did not object when Henry pulled the prince away. Regina began straightening up and Emma started to help.

"Maybe you should show your sister around the house," Regina suggested.

"You sure?" Emma asked.

Regina nodded. "You need to talk to her. Really talk to her, Emma. Remember, you want a relationship with her."

Emma nodded and then turned to Snow, who was still seated in her chair. She looked a bit confused, maybe lost, staring down at the table as if it had answers for her. Emma took a deep breath.

"Snow, how about I show you around?" Emma offered, forcing out a smile.

Snow perked up, smiling a bit, but she still looked uncomfortable. "Yes, please."

They stepped away and Regina sighed. She was not sure how this would go. She hoped for the best, though. She knew how much Emma desired familial ties and even though she had Henry, Regina believed Emma might want more. But, Emma clearly did not want the family Leopold represented. With Emma, it would probably come down to if Snow seemed more like an extension of Leopold or her own person, who wanted a sister.

-8-8-8-8-

Emma and Snow ended up in the backyard fairly quickly. Emma was not sure why she started there, but it seemed like a good place for privacy. Plus, the apple tree was a talking point.

"One time, when I first met Regina and we got into an argument, I took a chainsaw to her tree," Emma said, motioning to the tree, which was still healing from her vandalism.

Snow gasped. "Why would you do that?"

Emma shrugged. "She pissed me off and I was pretty drunk. I wanted to see Henry and she wasn't letting me and kept calling me all these horrible names."

Snow's pale forehead wrinkled and she studied Emma for a long moment. "So, how did you end up together?"

"Well, I saved Henry's life, but also I stopped drinking. We bonded over the very stressful situation of Henry almost dying. We just got close."

"It's amazing she adopted your son."

Emma rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, not really. I mean, if she didn't adopt Henry someone else would have and I'd have been chopping down their apple tree." She smiled. "But, I'm happy it was her. Regina is everything I imagined for Henry when I decided to put him up for adoption. I wasn't ready for him and I know what it's like to have a mother who isn't ready to be a mom."

There was silence between them for a long time. "Your mother wasn't ready?" Snow inquired in a low moment.

Emma scoffed. "My mother wasn't ready when I was twenty. I didn't want to be her."

Snow nodded and tried to look at Emma, seriously hold her gaze. It worked for a few seconds. "Henry seems very comfortable with you and considers you his mother."

"Yeah, but it took me a while to get here. I wasn't ready when he was born and I damn sure wouldn't have been ready if it wasn't for Regina. When I first got here, I was such a mess. I was drinking a lot more, turning into the person my mother was, and I didn't even realize it."

"You were such a mess because of me and Father?" Snow guessed. Again, she looked at Emma and she was able to look just a little longer than before.

Emma glanced at Snow and sighed as she focused on the tree again. "It was a lot of things, but you and Leopold were part of it. My mother dying was part of it. I didn't know how to deal. I'm still not sure I know how to deal."

Snow nodded. "I know how that feels."

Emma arched an eyebrow. "You do?" Now, she stared at Snow. _Maybe I haven't been looking at the big picture here either_. Snow seemed so together that it did not occur to Emma this whole thing could have affected Snow just as much as it did her.

Snow turned and looked at her. "Emma, ever since you came into my life, I haven't been sure how to deal with much and it wasn't until I talked to David that I realized it. I've been trying so hard to prove I could be the bigger person, to be a good person, and to love you because you're my sister that I've been suppressing so much. I want to like you, I really do."

Emma swallowed because this did not sound like it was going to end well. "But, you don't?"

Laughing, Snow shook her head. "No, I actually do. I really do. You're a good person and I can tell you like me, too. But, I'm still so confused." Sighing, Snow ducked her head and rubbed her forehead for a moment. Then, she looked back at Emma. "How can you be here? How can you exist if Father loved my mother as he claimed? Theirs was supposed to be this grand love story. Well, if so, why do I have a half-sister my age? I just don't understand it and for a while, it was easier to blame you."

Now, this Emma understood. "Because Leopold is your dad."

"Yes! He's my father and he says he loved my mother, but obviously not enough to keep it in his pants! How can you be here if he loved her? Did he love your mother?" Snow demanded.

Emma scoffed. "Seriously? Snow, my mother was a stripper and unless he was an idiot, he had to know she was drawn to his money. I'm sure he was in _lust_ with her and I'm sure he loved whatever sexiness she put on him, but I doubt there was any love there."

Snow sighed and her shoulders slumped, like that was not the answer she wanted to hear. This confused Emma. Snow should be happy to know her father did not love another woman, but then again, maybe it was worse. If Leopold stepped out with some stripper he did not love once, then he probably did it more than once, and probably not just with her mom either.

"Well, I was angry with you about that for a long time, but I never admitted it to myself. I just tried to block it. I never let myself feel it," Snow said.

"Is that why you sent Neal down here? Because you were angry with me, or was it because you still think your father is in love with Regina and you were trying to get me away from her?" Emma inquired with some bite in her tone. _I should probably work on subtly one of these days_.

Snow stared at her with wide eyes and must have seen something in her face that triggered tears of her own. "I thought if you saw your first love you'd go look for your son together. I thought you'd be happy." A single tear glided down Snow's cheek.

"I am happy! What the hell, Snow? Do you have any idea what that man put me through and I mean before he showed up here? Do you have a single clue?" Emma demanded.

"I just thought…" Snow gulped. "I thought you loved him."

"I loathe him!" Emma threw up her hands. "He's a horrible human being and thanks to you he knows about Henry. He had no right to Henry, no right to know, no right to come here for him, and no right to try anything with him, but now he knows and he's out there, coming up with some fucking con to try to get into my son's very good life. Neal will not help Henry in any way and will only cause problems in that very good life."

"Surely a boy's father has a right to know about him."

"Not when that father sends the kid's mother to prison and doesn't think about her until someone tells the father about a kid he didn't have a right to in the first place. Neal is a criminal. Do you think I want my son around a criminal? Do you think I want my son around someone who left me to rot in prison? Would you want your child around someone who hurt you and didn't seem to care about you one way or the other? Someone who never bothered to contact you the second you stopped being useful to him? Someone who lied to you time and time again? Do you know anything about Neal at all beyond he's Henry's biological father?" Emma pressed.

Snow flinched. "I didn't know anything about him, actually."

"How the hell did you even find him?"

Snow rubbed her forehead again. "I didn't really find him."

"Lemme guess, Leopold?" She could only imagine this was some twisted revenge plot of him because no matter what, he would not get Regina in the end. So, now, he just wanted to be hurtful and he used Snow's blindly trusting nature to do. _What a douche_.

"I mentioned to Father that it might be nice if you found your son and the father of your son, then you could all be a family."

Emma shook her head. "Leopold knows Henry is my kid. What the hell was he playing at?"

Snow gasped. "You told him?"

"No, he knew. He's the King, Snow. C'mon, surely you know he knows almost everything if he knows to look for it." _By the dead gods, Snow is really freaking naïve_.

"He didn't know you were with Regina for a year."

_Touché_. "He didn't know to look for it. He's not really keeping tabs on her." Thank the dead gods for that. They would have been in serious trouble if Leopold thought to check on Regina every now and then. But, he probably thought Regina's mother could control her long enough until they were married.

Snow sighed and stared at the ground for a moment, a frown on her face. "He doesn't love her, huh?"

"I doubt it."

Looking up, Snow stared Emma right in the eye. "But, you do, right?"

Emma smiled. "I love her with all my heart." Just saying it made her feel light and warm inside.

Snow smiled as well. "Like I love David."

"Yeah, like you love David." And then it occurred to Emma, this might actually be part of a larger distress for Snow. "He loves you, too, you know?"

"Who?"

"David. He loves you and he's a great guy. He's not going to step out on you. There's not some stripper out there carrying David's kid."

Snow frowned. "How can I be sure? I never would have thought my father…"

"Kids see their parents differently than a spouse sees their spouse. You look up to your father because he's a guy who seems like he can do anything… well, for you, he is a guy who can do anything. But, I've learned from dealing with Henry, sometimes kids idolize their parents and you can't do any wrong. Henry thinks just because I'm an adult, I can help him with his science projects from now until the rest of his life. It would never occur to him that I failed science class every semester I had it, regardless of the science. But, I want to help him, even if I have to go out and take remedial courses because I love him. Your dad loves you with all of his heart, it would never occur to you that he doesn't love others that way, especially when he says he loves them."

Snow nodded and she frowned slightly. "He doesn't love you that way, does he?"

Emma shook her head. "I don't know." She doubted it, actually. If he loved her, he never would have pointed Neal in her direction. "It doesn't bother me to find out either. I could live without him in my life and it wouldn't mean a thing to me. I don't want to do that with you, though." She made sure to look Snow in the eye when she said it.

Snow's eyes went wide. "Really?" her voice cracked.

Licking her lips, Emma nodded slowly. "Really," she whispered.

"I do want us to be sisters, Emma. I'm not angry with you anymore. I don't blame you for what happened. You didn't have a say in this any more than I did, but we get a say in our relationship and I want it to be good."

"Me, too."

Snow grinned. "Then, I promise not to interfere with your relationship with Regina anymore."

"I'm glad. We've had way too much excitement for newly weds."

Snow laughed and then wrapped Emma into a surprise hug. Emma tensed, but then relaxed. She had a lot of hugging in her future if she and Snow were going to be sisters. She might as well get used to it.

-8-8-8-8-

Regina glanced outside the sliding doors to the backyard, just wanting to make sure Emma and Snow were not physically fighting. When Emma was extremely angry, fists tended to fly. They appeared to be talking calmly, though.

"Those two getting along?" David asked as he stepped into the kitchen.

"They are, your highness."

David shook his head. "You don't have to call me that. David's fine. We're going to be family soon. Besides, you're a princess, too."

"Of a country that no longer exists," Regina reminded him.

He offered her an easygoing smile that went so far into his eyes, it was like looking into his soul. Already, it was easy to see why Snow loved him. "Fine, princess-consort. However you want to look at it."

"I thought Henry was showing you his game," Regina said. She really had no desire to bond with the prince. She had heard enough about him and his heroic acts. He seemed like he was born at the wrong time. Surely he would have done well in ancient times when there were dragons to slay and jousts to be had.

"He's making me an avatar or something before we play. He showed me the one he made for you and Emma. I can only imagine what I'll look like when he's done." David chuckled.

Regina groaned, remembering Henry creating her avatar well. "I never should have allowed Emma to buy him that game."

"He loves it."

"I know. He loves her," Regina stated, in case the prince did not know.

David shrugged. "I figured. Snow loves her, too."

"She has an odd way of showing it."

"Yeah, we've talked about that. Snow has some things she needs to deal with, too. This was bigger than Emma marrying you," David said.

"Oh?" It did not occur to her that Snow would be going through issues, but now that he pointed it out, it made sense. Snow was probably trying to make sense of her father and his actions. Regina groaned, knowing all about trying to make sense of a father. _Good luck_ _to her_.

"Yeah. I'm sure they'll work it out. Snow knows it wasn't Emma's fault. She also knows she dealt with things wrong."

Regina nodded. "That's good."

"Do you… um… think they have shot?" he asked, almost shyly.

Regina glanced out of the window. "I think they do."

He smiled and nodded. "I think they do, too."

"And, it'll be good for them."

David nodded and then shuffled from foot to foot for a moment before turning to leave. "Well, I better get back and see what Henry's done."

Regina sighed. "David, wait."

He turned around. "Yes?"

"Thank you for talking to Snow. Emma would love for them to have a relationship, but she wasn't sure how to approach it. I think she would've given up on it eventually."

David nodded and gave an exaggerated shrug. "Snow just needed perspective."

"She blamed Emma for what? Her father's betrayal of her mother or Emma's betrayal of their father?"

"Both. Her father was holy to her, right up there with the dead gods. Hell, maybe even up there with the Fates."

Regina arched an eyebrow. "Was?"

"Like I said, we've talked. I had to talk to her because she was talking about calling off the wedding. She thinks I'm going to cheat on her or something. I know this isn't really an issue she has with me, but with her father. He fell far in her eyes."

"But, at least she can build herself up."

A small smile settled on David's face and he nodded. "Yeah, and she can build a relationship with Emma… and you."

Regina blinked. "Me?"

"Yeah. Maybe it didn't mean anything to you, but when you saved her life, you touched Snow. She wants you in her life so damn bad. I think this is another one of the reasons she was going about this thing with Emma so strangely. She feels deeply for you."

"Well, let's hope that remains platonic," she commented dryly, though she was serious.

David laughed. "Yeah, I think it's more of a big sister type thing. Now, her emotions are all jumbled with you because at first she thought you betrayed her father. I think she's well beyond that and she still has high regards for you, but I think it's still a little unhealthy. I'm working to get her to take you down off the pedestal, too. She has to learn that's not a healthy way to deal with people."

"You sound good for her."

David preened and puffed out his chest. "I hope." He smiled. "I hope this thing she's trying to build will become a good thing. I want to be here for her, but I hope you guys are here for her, too."

Regina shrugged. "We'll see." She had to be conservative because this was all about Emma's feelings for her sister.

Before the conversation could continue, Henry trotted in. "David, I finished. Come on!" he grinned.

"Henry, it's 'Mister David'," Regina scolded him.

The prince smiled. "It's all right. I told him to call me David. Again, I'm hoping this works out." He marched over to Henry. "Come on, buddy, let's see this game."

Regina watched Henry walk away with David and then glanced at Snow and Emma. They seemed to be getting along. She would hope along with David.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: the family take their guests on a tour of the town and Snow and Emma say something in public for the first time.


	18. Pressing

I don't own these characters.

18: Pressing

Emma decided the tour of the town should be a family affair, especially since it was Regina's town. Regina and Henry did not object, or call her on this sudden decision. So, Saturday morning, after breakfast, they went for a tour, taking Regina's car since David drove a pickup truck and there was no way in hell Regina would be seen in a rusty pickup. Besides, they all would not have been able to fit in the pickup, unless they rode in the back and Henry was the only one excited by that idea.

"I would never consent to such a thing," Regina told Henry to let him know there would be no riding in the back of a pickup, now or in the future.

Henry pouted as they all made their way to the driveway. "Aw, Mom!"

"What kind of prince drives a beat-up pickup truck?" Emma inquired as they piled into Regina's Benz. Snow and David sat in the back with Henry in the middle. Henry buckled up immediately and then looked at the royal couple, waiting for them to do the same.

"This kind of prince." David pointed to himself with his thumbs. "I don't go around asking you what kind of princess drives that rolling tetanus shot you have?" he countered with a grin.

"He has you there," Regina concurred.

Emma frowned. "My car is a classic… and I haven't been a princess my whole life like you've been a prince. Shouldn't you have driver or something?"

David scoffed. "What do I need a driver for? I can drive. Your wife, who is the mayor of the very town we are in, doesn't have a driver." He motioned to Regina with a sweep of his hand.

Emma waved it off and Henry chimed in before she could say anything. "You guys should fasten your seat belts," he told Snow and David.

"Uh…" Snow opened her mouth to talk, but thankfully did not say anything.

"Mom's not gonna leave unless you do. See, Mama put hers on, too," Henry said, pointing to Emma.

Snow and David decided against debating the issue and just did as Henry said. Regina pulled out of the driveway once everyone was buckled in. The adventure was underway, a driving tour of Storybrooke. The town had more history than Emma ever knew. Regina handled some things, but Henry chimed in with a lot. Snow and David seemed very interested, asking questions and making comments of their own.

"Oh, this is the fairy dust mine! It used to have real fairy dust," Henry declared, pointing out the window.

"It's been condemned?" Snow asked, seeing the sign along with the many chains and barbed wire along the top of the chain link fences. Emma was surprised Regina did not find a way to build a moat around the thing to keep people out.

"It's being retooled into a museum and parts of it that can be reinforced and remain standing will be used to showcase the process that was once used for mining fairy dust, but the mine itself has been dry for centuries," Regina explained.

"Centuries? Why not fill it in sooner?" David wondered aloud.

"The town has always had this unspoken hope that eventually it would begin to produce fairy dust again. We have to accept this is not the case," Regina replied.

Snow frowned a bit, probably not happy with the idea of giving up on magic. The Enchanted Forest had a long history of being the magical center of the world. It was something the nobility and other citizens of the country took pride in, almost a patriotic pride, to the point where some believed it was a sin to get rid of any of the reminders to magic. Emma never really thought anything of it.

In fact, magic never really entered Emma's mind until she entered Regina's life. First, the thing with Henry and the mine and then the thing with Regina's mother. If she never heard about Regina's mother again and the mine vanished, Emma doubted she would ever think of magic again.

"Besides, kids go and explore those tunnels. It's dangerous," Emma added. Henry had the decency to blush at that.

"It's just a shame to see these things crumble," Snow commented with a dejected sigh.

"Time is meant for things to change. We see this all the time, countries rise and fall, people come and go, nature evolves, and even the seasons change," Regina said.

Emma wondered if that was a casual slip about Castia, but she did not bring it up. The tour went well. They ended things at _Granny's_.

"You'll like it," Emma promised as Snow stared at the small diner from the outside as if she did not know what it was. David seemed at ease, though, and put an arm around Snow, like he fortified her.

"If you enjoy greasy, fried foods," Regina added with her typical snark. Emma cut her a glare, which she only raised an eyebrow to.

"Sounds good to me," David chuckled. Emma gave her wife a smug look and Regina rolled her eyes.

They made it to _Granny's_ and Ruby's mouth almost hit the floor when she saw them walk through the door. All the conversation stopped and all eyes went to them. Apparently, everyone knew who the royal couple was. It had not even occurred to Emma since Snow and David walked around Misthaven like everyone else and rarely were harassed.

"Can we get a booth?" Emma requested, wanting everything to be normal.

Ruby nodded and rushed off, almost like she forgot they were supposed to follow her. Thankfully, _Granny's_ was not that big, so she was easy to keep up with. Emma was happy her friend did not trip over her own feet from the way she moved to get to the booth. Snow and David sat on one side and the Swan-Mills clan took up the other side. Just as Emma was about to sit down, Ruby grabbed her by the arm.

"You didn't tell me you knew the princess," Ruby said in a low tone.

"It's not a big deal, Rubes. So, calm down and bring us some menus," Emma requested and then she sat down. Ruby nodded and rushed off once again. _I guess I should be happy she hasn't realized I more than "know" the princess_. Once Ruby connected the dots that Snow was the sister Emma spoke of, she imagined they might never stop having that conversation.

"We can get ice cream at the end, right?" Henry asked, looking between both of his mothers.

"How about we eat first and then worry about dessert?" Regina suggested with a smile.

"Okay, but I'm probably gonna want a sundae, no matter what," Henry declared honestly, earning a laugh from Emma and David.

"Me, too," Emma chimed in.

"Do you guys eat here often?" Snow asked just as Ruby came back with the menus.

"Almost every day, right, Henry?" Emma put her arm around the boy. He nodded and smiled before cuddling close to her.

Regina leveled a look at Emma. "Every day?"

"Uh…" Emma turned to Ruby. "Hey, Ruby, tell them what's good here. I wanna recommend everything, but they'll need more than the weekend for that."

Ruby looked down. "Uh… okay." She had to take a deep breath and she went through the menu with her own, unique take on everything.

Emma wanted to laugh. "Ruby, I never expected you to be star struck."

"I'm not star struck," Ruby huffed, turning her nose up and then to prove it, she turned back to the royal couple. "So, your Highnesses, how do you know our little First Family?" she inquired rather casually. It was a good front. Now, if only her hands were not shaking, Emma might have bought it.

"Oh, Emma's my sister," Snow responded, even more casual than Ruby. As soon as the words left her mouth, it was like all of the air was sucked out of the place. There were wide eyes and gaping mouths and that was just from Regina and Emma.

"Your…?" Ruby could not even finish the question.

"My sister," Snow repeated with an impish smile, like it was the most natural thing ever.

Emma could not believe she repeated, let alone said it in the first place it. They were not supposed to talk about this and for some reason, Snow saying it aloud made it seem real. It crashed into Emma and she blinked. She noticed Ruby staring at her, as if expecting her to confirm this.

"Uh… yeah, we're sisters," Emma managed to say and then she smiled at Snow, understanding why Snow repeated it. It was like it set the universe right or something, like heavy chains she had not even known she wore were cast off. "We're sisters." Why was saying it to someone so freeing? "We're sisters." She squared her shoulders and it felt like she could hold her head up a little higher. "We're sisters."

"Yup, sisters," Snow giggled and she seemed close to giddy now. Apparently, it was contagious.

Emma laughed and then Snow laughed even more. "Sisters," they repeated together.

Ruby gave them a look as if they were weird and then walked off, probably hoping to escape the obvious mania that had taken over the table. Snow and Emma laughed more and then Snow reached across the table, taking Emma's hand. Emma held it and felt anchored to Snow White for the first time. They were sisters. Regardless of Leopold, they were sisters.

"This is the first time we've admitted that in public," Snow said with a happy sigh, possibly wanting everyone to know they had not lost their minds.

"Admitted what?" Henry asked with a cute tilt of his head.

"Admitted we're sisters, kid," Emma answered. She let go of Snow's hand to put her arm around Henry again.

"Why?" he asked with his brow wrinkled.

Snow chuckled. "Why, indeed. Because we're silly, Henry. Very silly."

He accepted that. They were able to have lunch with most of the diner minding their business. A few little girls came over to speak with Snow, but it was cute rather than annoying. Snow was very good with them and encouraging. _So, this is why people like her_. Emma could finally see it and feel it. It was an amazing day.

-8-8-8-8-

Regina rested her back against the bed's headboard with Emma's head against her shoulder. She stroked Emma's hair while Emma held Regina's hand. Emma rubbed her thumb across Regina's knuckles.

"This weekend was awesome," Emma muttered with a small smile.

"Yes, I suppose it was, but I definitely do not relish the fact that they are looking for property here," Regina replied. After admitting their sisterly bond, Emma and Snow seemed drunk on the freedom and things went supremely well from then on. Almost annoyingly so.

"You're the one telling the big sportsman how great the fishing and hunting is here in the summer. You should've stuck to the winter stuff. David looked whiter than snow while you did that," Emma remarked.

Regina groaned, more at the pun than anything else. "I'm the mayor. I have to say wonderful things about the town."

During most of the tour and lunch, she had talked about the many outdoor places people enjoyed seasonally in the small town. In the winter, they had skiing and other things to do in the snow. In the summer they had fishing, hunting, camping, and so many other outdoor activities. Apparently, each one of those things either repulsed or interested the royal couple.

Added to those facts was the one of Emma living in town, Snow decided she should spend time there as well. While Regina did not detest Snow in any way, she found the Heir to be irksome and draining much of the time because there did not seem to be a lot of depth to Snow. Not to mention, Snow often came off as a self-righteous and somewhat haughty, but most people ignored it for some reason. Regina did not want to put up with that for a long period of time.

"It's a nice little town and everyone's friendly. Why wouldn't Snow want to live here?" Emma asked with a teasing grin.

Regina rolled her eyes. "I hope this sisterhood you have is worth it."

Emma chuckled and then sobered up. "It felt good to say. It felt real."

It was easy to tell. "I'm sure it did. You've been expected to deny it for so long, but also expected to get along by the very nature of sharing a father. You have this bond, but you're not allowed to express it naturally…" Regina trailed off, not too sure what she wanted to say. She understood what Emma meant, though.

"I should've expected it, though. It was something like this when we got married. It felt…" Emma just looked up at her and their eyes locked. It was beyond words, but Regina could see it all in those hazel orbs. It was vast, infinite, so how dare they try to contain it? How dare _he_ make them try to contain it?

"It did," Regina whispered and leaned down to kiss Emma. It was a short, sweet kiss, but it was enough.

Emma smiled and caressed Regina's knuckles some more. "What do you think's going to happen? I mean, now that it's out there?"

Regina thought on it briefly. "There'll be a lot of press over it until something else takes over, but I think as long as you and Snow show you're all right with it and it's not some big scandal, it won't last long. The King will have a time of it, but again, if he doesn't make a big deal out of it, it should blow over." Things always did.

Emma nodded, not that either of them cared how this would affect Leopold. Hell, Snow might not even care at this point, especially since she was the one to put it out there. Leopold would know how to deal, though. He had spent his entire life in the spotlight, after all.

"What about your mother?" Emma asked.

Sighing, Regina scratched her forehead. "I have no idea what my mother might do with this information and I have little desire to find out. My mother's ambition has always been for me to be on the throne. I somehow doubt princess-consort will be enough for her." Hell, sometimes Regina thought even if she became Queen, it would not be enough for Cora.

Emma frowned, forehead wrinkling. "Snow could be in danger?"

"I have no doubt, but I've already taken the time to warn her knight-in-a-broken-down-pickup about that." Well, she had warned David to look out for anyone trying to take advantage of Snow, especially members of her own family. Of course, he was just as trusting as Snow was, so who knew what might come of that.

Emma's eyes went wide. "Really?"

"It wouldn't do to have your newly revamped relationship with your sister destroyed, especially before she got a chance to clearly annoy you to death." She was certain Snow would annoy her to death.

Emma shook her head, but she laughed. She pinched Regina in the side and Regina held in a yelp, but flinched. She glared at Emma, who predictably smiled back.

"That's going to be Henry's favorite aunt. You might want to get along with her," Emma pointed out.

Regina only groaned because that was true. Snow did not have much competition, after all, and she would definitely be around more often. She would have to make it her business to make sure her mother did not touch Snow now. This was the very making of a headache.

"Do you think Neal is going to be a problem?" Emma asked.

Regina massaged the side of Emma's head, wanting to keep her calm and fight away the worry for both of them. "How could he not be? He's the father of a young lord. I'm sure he'll want money to go away."

Emma scoffed. "To go away?"

"Well, to pretend to go away. If he is given money, we both know he'll just keep coming back. We'll handle it. I'm sure together we can come up with something."

Emma nodded. "Yeah, we've gotten through everything else, so we'll figure it out."

The confidence got a smile out of Regina, but it did not remain for long. There was so much that was about to come Emma's way. She would be there for Emma, of course, but she wanted to do more. She wanted to protect Emma, who had already been so hurt from this world. Sometimes, she wished it was possible for them to just live on a tiny island with Henry and never have anyone bother them ever again.

"There'll be all sorts of stories coming out of the woodworks now. They'll talk about your mother, you know?" Regina said, caressing Emma's head again.

A frown settled onto Emma's face. "Should we have just shut up about it?"

Regina looked down at her. "I don't know. Should we have not gotten married?"

Emma's eyes went wide, almost as if she feared the question was serious. Her body tensed as she stared at Regina. After a long second, she relaxed against Regina again, realizing the question was actually an answer. Regina placed a kiss to her forehead.

"It was all bound to come eventually, right?" Emma said.

"I'm sure." Regina had planned for it to happen anyway. The story would break in Storybrooke first and she already sent word to the Mirror's editor. He owed her several favors and assured her he would start of a series about the sisters in the paper tomorrow morning. It was probably on the Mirror's website already, but she had not had the chance to check.

She would use other favors to make sure Emma was not completely smeared or even vilified in the press. They would also have to shield Henry as best they could and explain things to him as best they could. That one would probably have to take priority, but she would not mention it to Emma yet. Emma was worried enough, after all.

Emma continued staring at her, her eyebrows curled up with concern. "We'll make it through this, right?"

"Emma, princess, I think since we've made it through this, we'll continue making it through whatever else life has to throw at us. We stand strong together," Regina assured her.

Emma nodded. "We do." Pushing up, she kissed Regina with all of the hope and promise from their wedding day. They were in this together.

-8-8-8-8-

Emma growled as she shoved her way into the sheriff's station. She was determined to live her life, even with swarms of people with cameras and microphones following her every move. It was hard as hell, but not impossible. _They're not gonna get to me_. Even with the press around, Emma felt like her life was awesome. She had her family and she had her sister. They could not take that from her.

But, they could take her peace of mind. It had only been a few days, but the crowd would drive her insane if this did not blow over soon. She was sick of seeing the articles, sick of being followed around, sick of having objects stuck in her face, and sick of being considered news. She could not even check her email anymore because she did not want to see the news on those websites. She did not read them, but just knowing they existed already weighed her down.

"You actually made it in here through all of that?" Graham said from his desk. He nodded outside where an ocean of noisy, nosy reporters were camped out. "I feel like I should give you a raise just for your dedication, but of course there's no money in the budget for that. Unless, of course, you talk to your wife about it. If you talk to her naked, you might actually get us at least an extra squad car."

Emma's lip curled. "Oh, shut up." He and Ruby had been zero help in getting through this mess, preferring to just tease and taunt her about it. They liked to keep things normal, not even asking her why she never said anything. They were so annoying that regard, even though she appreciated the normalcy.

The most annoying thing was not when the news of the King's bastard daughter broke or even the fact that Storybrooke was crawling with reporters now. The most annoying thing was the hundreds of people from Emma's past suddenly showing up wanting something from her. She had never seen so many hands reach out in her direction, many from people she knew she never met.

The worst of the bunch were the people who claimed to be related to her. Where were these people when her mother had thrown her out of the house in a drunken rage on multiple occasions, starting from when she was as young as nine? Where were these people when she was being placed into foster care while her mother bombed out of yet another rehab program? And, most importantly, where were they when she was burying her mother, alone and confused?

"Are they still camped out on Regina's lawn?" Graham asked curiously.

"They're like roaches! They're everywhere! Poor Henry couldn't even get on the bus. Again." Just remembering how brokenhearted the kid was made her want to shoot every gods-be-damned reporter in the town, especially the morons surrounding the Mills' house.

Graham whistled. "Wow. I doubt the kid's missed more than a day of school in his life. How many days is that now?"

"Just three, but he's itching to go back." They tried to send him to school the first day and he was mobbed before he could ever get to the sidewalk, forget the school bus. He had been so scared the first day, flashes going off in his face, strangers shouting at him, and strangers crowding around him. When they grabbed him back into the house, he was shaking and he cried the first day. Now, he seemed just as irked as his mothers, glaring at all of the people like a mini-Regina.

Graham chuckled. "He's such a good kid. I remember me and Ruby tried to get out of school every single day possible growing up. Granny had none of it, though. We were the kids that were there everyday, even snow days."

Emma shrugged as she took a seat at her desk. "If I didn't want to go, I didn't go…"

Graham nodded, as if he knew this had to do with her mother, a taboo subject with everyone except Regina. "I'm surprised our larger-than-life mayor hasn't just slaughtered the makeshift village and burned the bodies." He chuckled.

Emma snickered. "She might any day now. I think I saw her sharpening knives before I left."

"That sexy vein in her forehead about to burst," he laughed.

Emma glared at him and he yelped, realizing what he said. "You keep your eyes off that sexy forehead vein. That's my sexy forehead vein." It was said in jest, though she was serious. They laughed a bit and she decided to change the subject a bit. "So, what you have for me?"

"Well, more stupid papers." Graham held up several newspapers, but put them down before she could read any of the headlines. "Ruby's texting me the Internet junk." He held up his phone, which chimed with texts every few seconds. "And most of it is exactly that, junk."

A long sigh escaped Emma. "Anything worth knowing?"

Graham shook his head. "Nothing unless the guy your mother claimed was your father interests you."

Rolling her eyes, Emma scoffed. "My mother never made such a claim. For all I knew, a flying monkey dropped me on her doorstep."

Graham chortled. "Just another thing we have in common, eh?"

She scoffed. "Living proof that parenting isn't innate or instinctual. What a bond."

He let out a weak laugh and then a sigh. "They're saying all kinds of things about the King and you."

"I've heard it all anyway."

"Yeah. It's surprising the crap they come up with in a couple of days. Some papers who are more in favor of giving the Senate more control in government are really laying it on thick. I mean, hey, I think it's shitty of the King to act like you don't exist, but I also like the fact that he forced new minimum wages laws and stopped with his father's lust for foreign wars. Good king, bad father. They're not one in the same."

Emma nodded, even though she did not know much about Leopold's reign beyond what she heard. He was a good king from what she heard, but some of the papers were not making it out like that, all because of her. She could see why he had tried to hide her, but she could see why it was in best interest to hide, too. This was annoying.

"So, what are you guys going to do about this? I mean, it's not just going to go away," Graham stated the obvious. "Well, unless something huge happens. Like, an asteroid impact or zombies rising from the grave to destroy all mankind."

Emma shrugged. "Well, until that zombie thing, I'm not really doing anything about it, beyond saying, 'no comment.'" Regina told her to do that and it worked for her because she did not want to answer any questions. She did not want any part of this media circus. These people would print lies if it suited them no matter what she said or twist her words to suit their needs. While she had never dealt with the press before, she had dealt with people like that her whole life.

"I would say that's not working well," he chuckled, holding up a paper. A headline read: The Hidden Heir, Hail White.

Emma laughed. _Wow, that is truly bad headlining_. "That actually made the front page?"

"I think they're running out of good ones. The one that dubbed you 'Rose Red' was a good one. Too bad the story wasn't as a good. Now, this is just plain bad all around. Does this even count as a pun or pass for a clever play on words?" He looked at the headline. "It's been four days of this crap, after all. If they're running out of ideas already, we're in trouble."

"I think we're in trouble already."

He shrugged. "Well, I can tell you, Granny's loving it. She's making a mint at the B and B and the diner. Now, if only the people staying there weren't harassing all the patrons about if you or your family go there all the time, it would be the ideal situation."

Emma tried not to think about it, knowing the reporters had harassed and would continue to harass all the denizens of Storybrooke because of her. Thankfully, the people had her back. They were a great little town.

Graham eventually put the papers down and left to go home. He was shouted at and practically pushed by reporters all the way to his car from what Emma could see through the window. Getting ready to go on patrol, despite the fact that the town was stuffed with troopers now, she was halted by her phone going off. It was Snow.

"Hey, what's up?" Emma asked. She knew Snow had it just as bad in Misthaven and decided yesterday to just wait it out in the palace because she had to deal with both friends and the press asking tons of questions.

"Father wants you to come to the palace so we can address this whole… well, I'm not sure what to call it."

"What did he call it?"

"I don't think that matters." Then he probably used words Snow was surprised he knew. "But, I think we do need to come up with a plan for this. I mean, now, my phone won't stop ringing. I've got a million emails." She sounded like she was at her wits' end.

"You can't just ignore them?"

"Are you still doing that?"

"It's working for me." Emma scratched her forehead. Well, it was kind of working in the sense that she did not have to bother with answering them. Her inbox was probably about to explode, though.

"Well, I guess if it's working for you. Father asks for you to come as soon as possible, which I would assume means tomorrow, for dinner."

"I'll come for you." She still did not give a damn about Leopold. "Maybe we can all figure something out. I'll bring Regina and Henry, too."

"Great!" Snow chirped.

_I don't think I'd describe it as great, but whatever_. Snow and Emma ended the call and Emma stared at her phone. She had to tell Regina. Was it best to do face to face or could she do it over the phone? Over the phone would save her a lot of soul-withering glares.

"Over the phone it is," Emma said and dialed her wife.

"Yes, princess?" Regina answered.

"The King wants us to join him for dinner to try to figure out how to tackle all the media frenzy surrounding everything."

"The King wants _us_? Are you sure?" Regina asked. She could imagine there was an arched eyebrow and some very sexy pursed lip action going on right now with Regina.

Emma sighed. "Okay, he wanted me, but I'm not going without you and we can't just leave Henry behind. Besides, I want him to see how awesome we are together. So, what do you say?"

Regina sighed loudly, making sure it sounded like this pained her greatly. Emma already knew the answer just from the sound. "All right. I would prefer we not stay in the palace, though."

"It'll be hard to get a hotel room without being harassed, but I'll do my best. If not, I'm sure Henry would love a chance to spend the night in the White Palace."

"Goodbye, princess."

Emma could imagine Regina rolling her eyes. "Goodbye. Love you."

"I love you, too."

Emma smiled to herself as she put her phone away and went to get to work. Reporters would follow her around all night and if she did anything, big or small, it would be in the morning papers. Last night, they even commented on her dinner. Thankfully, it was a nice comment, talking about how her wife took care of not just a whole town, but her as well by making sure she had good food while on patrol.

"They don't know the half of it," Emma muttered and then went out to face her own personal Hell.

-8-8-8-8-

Regina sat in bed, book forgotten, and massaged her temples. She did not want to have to deal with Leopold or the capital right now, not with her mother calling nonstop and her sister calling in between that. Not with the media pressing down on her, invading her town and her privacy. Not with her son crying to go to school, but the bus refusing to stop at their house now and she unable to trust reports would not sneak into his school to talk to him there. Not with people from Castia she had never even heard of contacting her, wanting to know if her new status would grant them more freedoms than the current King allotted.

Regina was used to dealing with more than most. Her entire life was spent learning how to handle situations delicately and appeasing someone who there certainly was no pleasing. Added to that, she also had to learn to deny her heritage and become some sort of tight-rope walker as far as her nationality and citizenhood went. But, this had gotten out of control so quickly that no amount of juggling seemed to work. It was like she could not call in favors fast enough to slow the spread.

Before dread overwhelmed her, the bedroom door open and Henry rushed in. He climbed onto the bed with ease and curled up to her before she was able to even ask what happened. He tucked in close, clearly upset. She covered him with her blanket.

"What's wrong, dear?" she asked in a whisper.

"There's a monster outside! I heard it!" he hissed.

Regina frowned. _Is there a reporter trying to get in?_ She tried to get up, wanting to check for herself, but Henry clung to her tightly. He refused to let her go.

"Stay, Mom! The monster will get you if you go out there."

"It's all right, Henry."

"No! We should call Mama. Mama can get the monsters!" he insisted.

"Oh, really?" _When did Emma get the job of monster slayer?_ Regina was happy that Henry had given Emma what he considered a great responsibility. Emma would be honored when she found out.

"Yeah. She's a sheriff and they protect people from bad guys and monsters are bad guys."

Regina nodded. "You're right. How about I go make sure the monster is still there and then I can call the police? Mama will come with the police."

Henry thought on it for a moment. "I should come, too. You might need backup."

Regina chuckled. "Henry, if I need back up, I will call you. For now, stay in here and don't make any noise." She did not want her son to see her kill someone if there was a reporter on her property. Freedom of the press or not, once someone intruded on her turf and was a threat to her young child, surely a jury would take her side after a little second-degree murder, right?

"But, I can help," Henry insisted.

"I know you can, but we shouldn't show our true strength all at once. If you're in here, you're like my secret weapon."

Henry nodded eagerly. "Yeah, and you can shout a code word for me, like project x."

"All right. So, stay here until you hear that code word."

Henry nodded again. This played right into his comic book/video game world, which was fine if it meant he would stay safe in the room. Regina needed to make sure the press had not gone overboard. She went to Henry's room and listened. Sure enough, she could hear movement right outside.

"Gods-be-damned. These maggots are roaming my yard," Regina said, as she watched shadows dancing just below. She would put an end to this immediately. Returning to her bedroom, she grabbed her cell phone and called the troopers.

"It's monsters, right? Did you call Mama?" Henry asked.

"She's coming." Professional courtesy meant the troopers would notify the town's deputy that there were people lurking around her home.

They only had to wait a couple of minutes before the police were at the door. Regina answered in a robe over plain pajamas. Emma engulfed her in a hug as soon as the door was open. She then bent down to include Henry in the embrace.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked, frowning. She had probably worried the whole way over.

"We're fine," Regina assured her and then turned her attention to the troopers. They had two men with them.

"These men were found going through your garbage," a trooper reported.

Regina scowled. "You're that desperate? You frightened my son for what? To find out what type of food we eat and to see shredded bills?"

Emma glared at the pair. "They were sneaking around the house at this time of night? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Are either of you willing to make a statement?" one of the reporters had the nerve to say.

"Yeah," Emma said and then turned her attention to the troopers. "Get this filth off the steps, please. The nerve of them."

The troopers nodded and dragged the reporters off. Regina shook her head, knowing nothing good would come from that. She could already see the reporters writing about how they had been arrested just for trying to talk to the "bastard princess," as Emma was becoming known in the news. It was an unfortunate name and Regina wished they would consider Emma's son before printing such trash.

"I'm going to pack for this trip to the capital right now. We'll leave in the morning. This needs to end," Regina told Emma.

Emma only nodded before needing to run off back to work. She hugged Regina and Henry again before she left. Regina would not accept the press skulking about Henry's windows and going through the garbage. Next, they would be breaking in and going through more personal items. She would sit across from Leopold if it helped end this sooner.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: family road trip to make a plan of action.


	19. Long Road

I don't own these characters.

19: Long Road

The trip to Misthaven was silent as the grave. Emma was asleep in the backseat. Regina relented to have Henry sit in the front for Emma to stretch out, as much as an adult could in the backseat of a luxury car. Henry was not as enthused as he usually would be to sit in the front, having had little sleep after thinking reporters outside his window were monsters. Regina wanted this whole ordeal over with, so her precious family could get on with their lives.

"Do you want to hear different music?" Regina asked, glancing over at her sullen son. Classically trained like any noblewoman, Regina actually had a soft spot for jazz and the blues. Henry, of course, had a completely different taste, even though he was also classically trained in piano. But, he would rather listen to pop than the jazz she had on.

"No," he mumbled, staring at the dashboard with a frown.

"You can take a nap. You know we won't be in Misthaven for a couple of hours," she reminded him.

"How come they won't leave us alone?" Henry blurted out. He sounded angry over it and he had a right to be angry. These people had completely disrupted his happy life for no reason he could see.

Regina was tempted to stall, but there was no reason to do so. Henry deserved the truth, especially since he was so patience with something that had very much displaced his life. She just needed to figure out how to tell him what was going on without it seeming complex.

"Well, Henry, your Mama is a very special person," Regina started.

"Of course. I mean, you married her, Mom," he replied, rolling his eyes.

Regina could not help laughing. "Well, yes, there is that, but beyond that, your Mama is actually a princess of this country."

His eyes went wide. "Oh. When did she become a princess?"

That was an excellent question. Was her royalty a birthright or did it only count now that the country was aware of it? Regina was not sure. She still could not figure out if she counted as a princess when her country was conquered and her father was dead. Nobles still addressed her as such, but it seemed like lip service.

"She's always been a princess," Regina replied. Emma had always been a princess for them.

Henry nodded. "Yeah, Mama's cool. So, because she's a princess all those people keep following us and crowding us and making it impossible to go to school? Am I gonna get in trouble for missing a week of school?" His eyes glistened, like he might cry.

Regina smiled. "No, you won't get in trouble. Your teacher knows this has been a trying week for you and she's emailed me your work. We'll get to it if there's a free moment at the White Palace." If not, they would get to it at home. She would not let him fall behind, especially not because of this nonsense.

His brow furrowed and he kicked his legs out for a second, but he seemed a little better. "How come we're going to the White Palace?"

"We need to see Emma's sister, Snow, and the King."

His eyes went wide once more. "The King? Isn't he in charge of the whole country?" he sounded so awed.

"Yes."

"And we can just see him?" The surprise and shock in his voice was just too adorable.

Again, Regina smiled. "Yes, we can." This had to seem amazing to Henry, who thought seeing his school's principal was a key event in his day.

"So, we don't even need a pass?"

"Nope."

"Wow." Henry nodded. "So, he can get the people to leave us alone?"

"Well, we're going to try to work out how we can get the people to leave us alone."

Frowning, Henry's eyebrows knitted close together. "But, he's the King. He can do whatever he wants. He should be able to just tell them to go away."

"It doesn't work like that, Henry."

Henry's brow furrowed further. "Why not?"

"Well, it's kind of like when you ask me questions." He narrowed his gaze and nodded, giving her permission to continue. "If the questions get out of hand, I can tell you to stop, but if you really want answers, you're likely to keep asking, right?"

"Yup."

"So, the most I can do is stop answering you."

"You can also make me eat all the green vegetables," he added.

Regina chuckled. "Well, yes, I can do that, but it wouldn't make you stop asking questions. It would just upset you and maybe give you pause, but you would continue if you really wanted to know something."

"So, what do those people really want to know about us?"

Regina groaned. "Everything."

"I can tell them everything about me and then they'll go away and then Mama won't be tired, you won't be mad, and I can go back to school," Henry declared.

Regina glanced at him with an arched eyebrow. "I'm not mad, Henry. Just a little upset with the way this has changed the way we have to live."

Henry shrugged. "But, I can still tell them everything and then they won't be here anymore and everything can go back to the way it was."

"You wouldn't want to." While he liked talking, he only did it with people he was comfortable with. He would not be comfortable with having microphones jammed in his face along with a bunch of cameras and people screaming at him. Besides, he would only serve to whet their ravenous appetites for royal intrigue.

Henry shrugged and took her word on it. "So, the King'll help us get rid of them?"

"Yes, dear."

He smiled a bit, but did not appear any less troubled. He was silent for most of the trip. Regina tried to reassure him, but he mostly shrugged and gave one-word answers. He would need to see this thing over in order to believe it.

His face changed when they arrived at the White Palace. They had not bothered to visit during their first trip to Misthaven, having many other landmarks to check out. Emma understandably avoided the place and Regina had not mentioned going, not liking it either. He pressed his face to the window as they were granted entrance.

"It's like it's made of snow," Henry muttered. The palace was aptly named, but also there were plenty of white flowers and artwork decorating the establishment.

"Legend has it that it was made from tiny snowflakes and the last surviving fairy, the Blue Fairy, turned it into a castle," Regina told him.

From the way his eyes widened, she knew he immediately believed the legend. Fairy tales were certainly right up there with comic books for him. She imagined he would be into fantasy stories his whole life and she had little problem with that, especially if it helped him study history as well.

There was a valet to park the car, which was not surprising. Regina woke Emma up while Henry stared up at the palace. Emma yawned, rubbing her eye with her palm. _I shouldn't think she's cute, but I do_. Regina kissed the side of Emma's head.

"We're here?" Emma asked the obvious.

"Yes, come on." Regina helped her wife out the car. A servant would get their bags and would also make sure the bags got where they needed to be. It was unfortunate that try as Emma might, she had been unable to find a hotel for them to stay. Nothing discreet enough for her anyway.

Emma yawned again and shamelessly wrapped her arm around Regina. The servants around them pretended not to notice. Regina knew as soon as her family was out of hearing range they would be the gossip in the halls for days to come. At least she was certain none of them would leak information to the press. Everyone knew the royal servants were the best at keeping secrets.

"This way, your highness," a servant said, motioning inside.

Regina was not sure which of them the title was for, but it did not matter. Neither of them were much for the title. They followed this servant, who led them to Snow, who stood in the hallway just beyond the foyer. She smiled at them, but Emma approached her and hugged her. Snow sighed and returned the embrace.

"How are you holding up?" Emma asked, patting Snow on the back. It was good to see Emma getting accustomed to giving affection, even if it was just to a few people.

Snow shook her head. She had certainly seen better days. There were lines under her eyes and her pale skin seemed wan. In fact, she looked like Emma. "I'm staying in. No one in here can bother me except through phone and email and I can easily ignore those. How about you?"

Emma just laughed and glanced back at Regina and Henry. She put her arm back around Regina's waist. Henry waved.

"Hi, Miss Snow," Henry said.

"Hey, Henry, call me Snow or Aunt or something like that, please," Snow requested, pressing her hands together.

"Yeah, she's your aunt, kid," Emma encouraged him.

Henry nodded. "Right, cuz you're Mama's sister, right?"

Snow smiled. "Yes, I am, so I'm also your aunt."

"Okay." Henry accepted this with a grin.

"Henry, would you like a tour of the palace, like you gave me when I was in Storybrooke?" Snow asked.

Henry nodded eagerly. "Yes, please." He turned to his mothers. "May I, please?" He clasped his hands together and gave them big eyes and a grin.

"My father wants to see you both immediately," Snow explained.

"All right, then," Regina agreed.

"Yeah, go on, kid," Emma said.

Henry practically cheered as he rushed off with Snow. A servant seemed to appear out of nowhere and showed them to a small room, like a den. The King was already there. He stood from his seat as they entered and managed a smile on his face that almost looked genuine. But, then again, he was good for making things seem almost genuine.

"Emma. Regina," he greeted them. He moved as if he planned to embrace them, but thought better of it. "Please, sit." He motioned to the sofa.

They both did as requested. Emma's arm did not move from Regina's waist. She also made sure Regina was pressed tightly against her. Regina was not sure if it was possessive display or if it was out of fear, as if Emma thought somehow the King would steal her away just from them being in the same room together.

For a long moment, they sat there in a tense silence. It weighed down on Regina, but the heavier it became, the taller she sat up. The King stared at her, so she stared back. Emma fidgeted beside her, but not enough for Leopold to notice. Regina took her hand and squeezed it. Emma squeezed back. They would make a stand together, as always.

"So, you have suggestions on how to deal with this?" Regina inquired with as much respect as she could muster. It was not much, reminding her immediately of how she spoke to people in town meetings who got on her nerves.

"What is the 'this' you're referring to?" Leopold countered in his usual calm tone.

"No, no, no. Don't start with this crap. You know she means the media circus. How do we deal with this? I mean, I'm sure you have some PR people and crap like that, right?" Emma huffed, glaring at the King. Apparently, Emma would not even feign respect, but impulse control was not her strong suit anyway.

Leopold frowned and Regina patted Emma's thigh, wanting her to calm down. It did not make sense to antagonize Leopold when they needed him. She had already gone over that with Emma. Like it or not, they were all in this together.

"How are you two?" Leopold asked calmly, like he actually cared.

"In marital bliss," Emma deadpanned.

"How do you want to handle this situation?" Regina pressed, still calm and collected, but with a little more force. She did not want Emma to have to spend more time with Leopold than actually necessary. Hell, she did not want to spend more time with him than necessary.

"For you, it might just be the press, but for me, I have to deal with accusations from the Senate. I also have to handle the fact that I now have several people coming forth and claiming they're my children," Leopold said.

"Oh, boo-hoo," Emma snapped.

Regina squeezed her hand tightly, making Emma look at her. Emma winced and looked at Regina, who gave her stern glare. Her eyes told Emma that she would handle this. Emma frowned, but nodded.

"The Senate can level accusations at you and people can claim what they want, but is it true? Can all of these accusations and claims be disproven?" Regina asked.

"Of course they're not true!" he insisted.

Emma rolled her eyes, her existence alone making it hard to believe him. Honestly, if he had more children running around, it was not their concern. They needed to be rid of the media before something happened to their son. If something befell Henry, neither of them would ever forgive Leopold for keeping this a secret for so long.

"I was considering the idea of doing exclusive interviews with reporters of our choosing who have behaved in a professional manner, so we can explain all of this in a calm manner on our own terms," Regina offered.

"Did your mother give you that idea?" Leopold asked, almost in a snappy tone.

Regina was not surprised he was not a fan of her mother's. So few people were who met Cora. It was odd that such a disliked woman managed to make it so far up the social ladder.

Her mother had given some statements, but nothing of substance to the press. She did not know enough to say anything and it could be dangerous to just make things up this early in the game. It was nothing too horrible, but with Cora, it took less than a second for things to change. The very thought of what could come gave Regina a headache. Leopold probably did not feel much better about Cora speaking with the press.

Regina sighed, and rubbed her forehead. "My mother is a different matter altogether. I know she has entertained the reporters, but it doesn't seem like she's going to give a proper interview until she has a true grasp of the situation, which she doesn't and she won't." Regina had made it a point not to communicate with her mother and made it a point that people in her life knew not to communicate with her mother as well. If anything slipped, heads would roll.

Leopold sighed and nodded. "I've read some of her comments."

"Yes, but that doesn't help any of us. How shall we proceed?" Regina asked.

"What do your advisors say?"

Regina scoffed. _Why is he pretending I have anything? His father stripped my family of everything, but their nobility. I couldn't afford advisors even if I wanted them_. "You're kidding, I'm sure. I'm the mayor of a small town. Do you honestly believe I have advisors? I do much of my legwork." She had become adept at picking up trails and following her own leads back in law school. She had always been a doer anyway.

"Do you have something against the idea of giving an interview?" Emma asked.

"Are you really prepared to give an interview?" Leopold challenged her.

"I have nothing to say. If you want to do a 'family interview' I'd just be there to support Regina and Snow. Whatever's coming out about me, people will believe. Whatever's coming out about my mother, people will believe. I know what's true and I can tell Henry what's true and that's all that matters to me," Emma stated.

Leopold arched an eyebrow and pursed his lips for a moment. "You have no opinion on these lies?"

Emma shook her head. "I've grown up around lies, in lies, lying, and being lied to. This means nothing to me. The only thing that's important is for my son to know the truth. I don't want him to look at me differently."

"He won't," Regina promised. Henry did not have a clear understand of what was happening as it was, but that would not last forever. They would sit him down and make sure he knew what was true and what was not. But, she was also skeptical that Emma was as apathetic to this situation as she wanted to appear. She would not call Emma on it just yet, especially not in front of the King. If this was how Emma was able to cope with all of this, then so be it.

"He should not have to deal with this. Why is he going through this?" Leopold said, glancing away. He sounded as if he lamented Henry's plight, but this was not what his face said. His eyes looked at Emma, like this was all her fault.

Regina frowned and was about to snap at him. How dare he try to imply Emma leaked this information? She had nothing to gain from it. After all, she hated all of the attention.

"He's going through this because of me," Snow said, stepping inside.

"Where's Henry?" Regina asked immediately.

"He's with David. Did you really think I would let you have this conversation without me?" Snow asked. She took a seat in an empty armchair.

Regina nodded. Henry seemed to like David and they had spent sometime together bonding when David was in Storybrooke. With luck, they would not get into much trouble.

"So, have you decided anything?" Snow asked.

"Why would you say Henry's going through this because of you?" Leopold inquired, leaning in her direction.

"I'm the one who said Emma was my sister. It just came out and it felt so great to say, to let everyone know. I don't want to hide it anymore. I want a relationship with Emma. I want everyone to know we're sisters and we get along and we love each other. She's not some dirty little secret, some mistake you made and can hide from the world. Emma is amazing and I'm proud she's my sister and I want the world to know this," Snow declared with her chin held high.

Leopold sighed. "Snow, there are ways to go about this."

Snow frowned. "Ways you had no intention of using. Again, I want people to know Emma is my sister. I want to be able to go out with her and not have stories in the paper wondering who the blond is with me. I want her to be able to stand with me at my wedding and everyone knows she's there because we have this sisterly bond. I don't want to hide."

Emma's eyes went wide. "You still want me to stand with you at your wedding, even after all of this?"

Regina was not sure why this shocked Emma. Once they made it through this, the wedding would be a cakewalk. Before the news dropped, if the wedding had gone on, reporters would have been clamoring to find out who the mysterious blond woman was standing with Her Royal Highness Snow White on her wedding day. This was that much easier as the question was answered.

Snow smiled. "Yes! Of course, I still want you as a bridesmaid and I want everyone to know we're great friends as well as great sisters."

Leopold stared between the two and leaned back in his chair. While keeping a passive expression, his eyes squinted just a bit. It was like he did not expect his daughters to seriously bond. Regina was not sure what to make of this, what to make of him. This man was a puzzle and she truly had no desire to solve it. She just wanted to get this matter behind them.

"It's not that simple," Leopold said.

"What's not that simple?" Snow said.

"Honestly, Leopold," this was the first time Regina had ever been informal enough to use his given name, but it seemed warranted. "Kings have had children outside of wedlock for generations, for millennia. Some with far more virtuous reputations than your own. Surely there is some history lesson to lift us all from this mire." It definitely was not the end of the world he seemed insistent on making it.

"Yeah," Emma said. "Is it really this that bothers you or just looking at me reminds you that you're not as pious as you pretend to be?"

"No," Leopold denied. He had to deny, even if Emma's words were the truth. Snow's high opinion of him mattered, after all.

"Then, tell us how to get through this," Emma stated.

Leopold rubbed his hands together. "Well, the interview idea is very good. I'll have someone prepare us."

"Prepare us?" Emma echoed with a bewildered expression.

Regina patted her thigh. "It's all right, princess."

_Damn_. Regina had not meant to say that aloud, but Emma needed to hear it. The room went quiet. Leopold glanced away and Snow covered her mouth, trying to hide a smile if the light in her eyes meant anything. Thankfully, father and daughter had enough manners to not say anything.

"So…" Snow said, much more chipper than necessary, but it helped break the tension. "Once this is out of the way, Emma, will you still be all right with being in my wedding?"

Emma nodded. "I'd be honored." She glanced at Regina and then gave Snow a very awkward half-smile. "Um, maybe you could be in our wedding."

"You're already married," Snow pointed out.

"Yeah, but I was thinking maybe… Well…" Emma looked at Regina. "Maybe we could have a real wedding now that this is all out."

Snow clapped and grinned. "That would be amazing!"

Regina had to control herself not to roll her eyes. She never assumed she could deal with Snow's optimism. _How is Emma going to handle it?_ After all, Emma was much more serious than Regina was on a whole. Well, Emma undoubtedly knew what she was getting into.

"Let's handle one thing at a time," Leopold said, his face tense. Perhaps he held back a frown.

"Let's," Regina agreed. Of course, it was more than one thing for all of them. Her mother would always be there for her and now that it was out that Emma was a princess, she knew her mother sat back plotting. She would have to head her mother off. She would need to speak to Leopold alone.

-8-8-8-8-

Dinner was just as awkward as their little meeting, but Emma pushed through. Henry seemed happy, enjoying the tour David had given him. He just yammered on and on about it, telling both of his mothers about how cool everything was and how much history was all over the place. Emma was amazed by how much Henry enjoyed learning new things. She had never been so attentive and open, but he just soaked up everything he could and loved to share it with people he felt were worthy.

Emma wanted to say more things to Leopold, but also did not want to. She hated how she felt about him and just wished she could put the emotions down, especially since they were all negative and so heavy. She did not want him to mean anything to her. She got a sister out of this, which was more than she ever expected. It was good and she wanted to walk away with just that feeling, but for now, she could not.

Instead, she sat there feeling put out and angry. How dare Leopold think he was the one inconvenienced by this crap with the press? Was she supposed to care that he might have a bunch of other little bastards out there or that the Senate might use this to wrestle more power from him? She just wanted to live a normal life, not have a million and one questions asked about her and her "linage." And worse than that, have people disrupt the lives of her wife and son. None of them asked for this and Leopold had been the one who should have considered everything, but he did not.

No, Leopold went out and had his fun, now they were supposed to feel sorry for him because there were consequences. What the hell was wrong with him? Emma wished she could stop thinking about it because the more she thought about it, the more she just wanted to go up to the King and punch him in the face. Biological father or not, Emma was certain she would get in trouble if she punched the King.

"So, Regina, I hear Castia has been buzzing about your marriage to Emma," David said.

Emma groaned, wishing he picked any topic other than Castia. Well, really other than the media circus and Castia. Regina's expression did not change, but she stopped eating. She played with the food on her plate for a moment.

"Castia is a strange place and they get excited over strange things," Regina replied politically.

"Shouldn't they be happy? Their princess married our princess," Snow grinned.

Regina groaned very low, but did not respond. Emma never thought about it, but now it occurred to her how awkward and painful this must be. Regina had to sit here with her nation's conquerors and pretend to be all right with it. Regina had to pretend she did not care about Castia, even though she spoke the language fluently and knew details about the country while trying to be casual about it. Hell, sometimes, it seemed like Regina pretended she did not know anything about Castia or she did not know what Castia was. She had to make sure she showed restraint any time the subject came up or it would seem suspicious and she could be accused of things. Essentially, Regina's freedom and possibly even her life hung in the balance anytime someone mentioned her birth country.

"I'm not sure that's what they are, but they have a lot of things online about it," David said.

"Why's Castia important?" Henry asked. Emma held in a flinch. Wow, Regina did not even tell Henry about Castia.

"It's nothing to worry about, dear," Regina assured him.

"You haven't told him about Castia?" Snow gasped, like it was scandalous for Henry to not know about Castia.

"There's nothing to tell," Regina replied through gritted teeth.

"Maybe when he's older," Emma offered. Henry should know about his heritage. He could decide for himself if it was relevant or not.

Regina nodded and the topic thankfully fell away. Emma wondered how often Regina had to endure hearing about Castia and not being able to really talk about it. Hell, she wondered what Regina's true feelings were for Castia. No matter what, she could not express them. There would always be someone there, telling her that was the wrong way to feel.

Emma wanted to reach for Regina's hand to comfort her, but they were on opposite sides of the table. Apparently, blood relatives sat to the right of the King and others to the left. Emma really had no desire to participate in all of this pomp, but it gave her a chance to sit by Snow, who was happy to have her there. Emma was thankful for the dinner to be over until Regina requested time alone with the King.

"What are you doing?" Emma asked in a low voice as she literally backed Regina into a corner. She did not mean to do that, but she wanted some sense of privacy for them.

"I have some things that I need to say to him," Regina answered. Emma had no doubt that was true, but she did not want Regina to be alone with him.

"Do you want me there?"

Regina sighed, but she smiled. "Thank you for offering, princess, but I need to do this myself." She caressed Emma's cheek.

Emma nodded and turned her head just enough to kiss Regina's palm. Some things for both of them, the other could only be there in spirit. _It probably won't always be this way with personal issues, but this does help us put down some of that baggage_.

"All right. If you need me, call me. I want to show Henry a couple of my favorite places, even though I hate this place," Emma said. She had a few hiding spots, though, places that allowed her to forget the broken fairy tale that had been her life.

Regina nodded and Emma leaned down, kissing her cheek. Regina smiled and pressed her forehead to Emma's for a moment. Then, Emma was off. Henry turned to wave at his mom before going off on an "adventure" with his mama.

-8-8-8-8-

Regina and Leopold stood on a balcony that overlooked the royal garden, which was starting to blossom. Soon, there would be bright colors all around the palace, which would somehow make the white seem all the more pronounced. They were silent as the moon looked down on them, condemning them both to each other's presence. _How is it that a man who has brought so much shame and misery to my family is also responsible for the people that make me the happiest in all the world?_

More than that, Regina wondered how someone who was so kind to strangers and so invested in the happiness of others could be so cold toward his own daughter? Leopold had passed so much progressive legislation, especially helping the less fortunate, and yet Emma seemed to mean very little to him, no matter how much he denied it. She wondered how much he lied to himself about how he viewed Emma.

The King broke the tense silence. "Regina, it was never my intent to make you unhappy," he said.

"Of course not," Regina replied. He had not thought about her feelings at all. It was not about her in his mind. Everything was about him and that was why he could treat Emma the way he did and still claim she meant something to him. "But, that's not what I want to talk about. I want you to make it very clear that Emma has no claim to your throne and that Henry doesn't as well."

He frowned. "Why? Not that they do. The throne will pass to Snow and her descendants."

"Make sure the nobles and the Senate knows. Make it common knowledge amongst them."

"Is this because of your mother?"

Regina had to take a deep breath and consciously tell herself not to wring her hands together. She could not afford to look weak or nervous in front of this man, _ever_. But, her mother was dangerous, more dangerous than either of them would ever give her credit for. She had to protect her family.

"You know my mother. You have known her for a very long time from my understanding of things. Surely you know how she thinks." Regina wanted to say "plots" instead, but felt like such words to an outsider would be too close to a betrayal. He could fill in the blanks.

He made a small noise and nodded. "You think Snow would be in danger. I know your mother always planned to advance her status. She would do so through you?"

Regina wanted to scoff. Surely he knew that was why her mother agreed to the marriage. She heard her mother had a history with this man. Was he fooled by her charms like so many others? Somehow, Regina felt like this was the case. He seemed to be a sucker for a pretty face and her mother had been a poised beauty back in her day. Beauty, elegance, charisma, and ambition summed Cora Mills quite well to this day.

Either way, Regina knew what her mother was capable of. If she had even a small inkling that Regina could be Queen, as she had always planned, then there would be "accidents." They would start would Snow, of course, but move down the line. If her mother progressed quickly enough, Henry would end up with the throne and Regina would rule as regent, but somehow her mother would force her to snatch power from even her son. It would be a mess, the stuff of legends. Regina was tired of her life being "the stuff of legends."

"My mother would do so through whomever she could and I refuse to let Emma or Henry be used in such a way," Regina said in an even tone.

He nodded, but was quiet for a long moment. "If I say this, make it known, people will question my love for my daughter and grandson."

Regina already questioned it, especially since he brought it up. Too many times today he seemed more concerned with his image than anything else. Would he be this way if it were Snow instead of Emma? She doubted it, but she was not sure if he understood that.

"Does it bother you to know your daughters already ask those questions?" she found herself asking.

His eyes went wide, as if that was news to him. "What?"

"Come now, you had to know. Or have you blinded yourself to the obvious? Emma questions your feelings with every glance and Snow has since the moment she let your secret out."

Sighing, he nodded, but his shoulders slumped. "How did your father handle this?"

"Your majesty, this is hardly the same. Emma is your daughter, biologically yours. Besides, you knew my father as you know my mother." Her mother imposed acceptance of Zelena on everyone around them. Her father either had actually opened his heart to Zelena or Cora had bullied him into it just like she had everyone else. His emotions were never questioned and he seemed to treat Zelena well, but then again, he was weak and controlled. It probably never even occurred to him to have negative feelings for Zelena. She preferred to think her father was kind enough to love Zelena and not blame her for her own existence. But, she did not want to think about it.

"So, I should assume your father had no say in the matter?"

"You knew my father," she repeated.

He nodded. "Well, how do you deal with having a sister from one parent and not the other?"

Her lip curled in disgust. She wanted out of this conversation. Now. "My relationship with my sister is different to Snow and Emma. Your daughters are sisters, so you should accept it. Also, accept in your heart that Emma is your daughter and maybe one day you can actually have a relationship with her. I'd like to believe this is what you want."

"It is," he insisted. But, maybe it was what he wanted now since there were cameras in their faces. She would never be sure, but she doubted Emma would let him in anyway.

"Then you might want to interact with your daughters," she suggested.

He nodded, seeming to accept what she believed was common sense. They stood together for a while, silent. She was tempted to walk away, not needing his company anymore now that he understood what he needed to do to help Emma and Henry. Unfortunately, he had other matters to discuss apparently.

"Do you have plans to say anything about Castia?" he suddenly inquired.

"Why would I?" She never did.

"This is a prime opportunity to help Castia feel like part of the country. You have technically joined the royal family. Castia should feel like its part of the country now."

Regina made sure to keep a neutral expression. "Maybe representation in the Senate and voting rights would make Castia feel more like its part of the country. I still don't understand where you get this idea that Castia cares what I do." She did her best to stay out of Castian affairs, as it caused her much less grief.

He gave her a small smile. "You seem to doubt the power you hold over Castians. Yes, there are former nobles who have branded you and your family traitors, but most of them no longer live in the country."

"Yes, but most of the country still feels like they've been conquered, as they have." _Why is this such a hard concept to understand?_

"Countries are conquered all the time, but it's how they move on after that sets the pace for things. You can help set the pace to get Castia into line as part of the Enchanted Forest. It is, no matter how they feel, so it would be better for them to accept it. Are you telling me you have no interest in this?" he asked.

_Is he serious? _She was not sure how to answer this question. A part of her would always long to do something for Castia, but then she would always suspicious of King Leopold. Plus, she was not in the mood to assist this man for some reason. His intentions, good or not, never moved her. It did not help matters that she got to see this new, glaring dimension of him with Emma.

"Do you have any other suggestions about Castia?" he asked.

"I have nothing further. I should find my wife and son," she replied. "Goodnight, my King."

Regina rushed off before the King could say anything more. If she was going to be trapped in the palace, she at least wanted to spend her time with her two favorite people. Maybe for the night, she would be able to forget about the press, her mother, the King, and even Castia.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: a family interview and Leopold has one more trick up his sleeve.


	20. Responsibilities

I don't own these characters.

20: Responsibilities

Emma was sick of giving interviews, sick of speaking to people she did not know, and sick of having to explain so much of her life to people who did not matter. She had spoken to handpicked reporters one-on-one, with just Regina, with just Snow, and now with their whole family except Henry, who was being watched by a servant much to his chagrin. Of course, it had taken many promises for Regina to feel comfortable leaving him with a servant. Regina had made sure to shield Henry from this madness as best she could. Emma respected that because this was madness. Utter madness.

"Is this the last one of these?" Emma inquired, standing behind Regina as she fixed her own hair. There had been makeup people, but Emma chased them away like angry bear a while ago when they had been trying to do her hair. Regina did not seem to mind.

"For you, yes. The King might do a few more. I might do a few more," Regina answered. She frowned a bit. Yeah, she might do more, but she obviously did not _want_ to do them any more than Emma did.

Emma's brow wrinkled. "Why?"

Regina sighed and shook her head. "I just want to make sure they're appeased, so they don't turn up at the house again."

Emma nodded. She definitely did not want any more reporters on their lawn. She nearly punched the last one, who had jumped out of nowhere when she left for work a few days ago. The last thing any of them needed right now was someone pressing assault charges against Emma, even if they eventually would have been dropped since that person was technically trespassing.

She also did not want those jackasses following her patrol car or trying to sit with her at _Granny's_. Since they started doing the interviews, things had relaxed somewhat. Hopefully, it would blow over completely in a couple of months when Snow's wedding would happen. Of course, Snow's wedding would probably be the thing to make it all go away, but only start a new headache.

"This is going to go away eventually, right?" Emma asked.

Regina offered her a rather bright smile. "Of course."

Emma took her word for it. She had never been involved in something like this and it made her head spin every time they did an interview. Regina took her by the hand and held it. Regina had held her hand the whole time when they did their interview together. She hoped for the same treatment here.

"These things always go away eventually," Regina promised, as if she had personal experience with this and with her life, she probably did.

Regina held Emma's hand as they went out onto "the stage" and they sat on a small sofa right next to Snow and David, who were on another couch. The King sat in an armchair at the end. They were in one of the palace's room, which seemed to be set aside for the press and such. Her interview and Regina's interviews had been done in their home in Storybrooke, though. The interview she did with Snow had actually been outside, in the Grand Park, where they just hung out afterward. She was much more comfortable those places and she hoped she did not sweat through her clothes.

"I wish I could've worn jeans again," Emma whispered to Regina. She had worn jeans to every other interview she had. Right now, she was dressed in business casual.

"I know, princess, but you have to accept there are some occasions where you have to dress up," Regina replied back, kissing her cheek.

Emma smiled as the reporter entered and gave them all respective little bow. She sat down across from them and smiled at them all. Marian Lockley was Regina and Snow's pick for the family interview. She was tough, but fair woman, who had written some articles on them already and had not completely lambasted them like most of the establishment. She seemed more interested in the truth according to Regina and Snow than in the yellow journalism most prescribed to.

"So, first, I would like to thank you all for this opportunity," Marian said politely with a smile. It was nice that she did not sound sarcastic as some reporters did, but of course, those guys never actually got any information before the sarcasm anyway.

"No, no, no, thank you for sitting down with all of us," Snow insisted. This was actually only Snow's second interview. She was still sort of shy about it, certain she would say something that would be misconstrued, which Emma was sure to be the case.

At least here, if Snow said something easily taken out of context, one of them could clean it up to avoid having the whole country get into an uproar. It worked when she and Emma had done their interview together, but then again, that was also really short. It was less than ten minutes and this was scheduled for over an hour. _Maybe I should be more worried about putting my foot in my mouth if I say something_. After all, she was not known for her eloquence either.

"So, I've noticed from previous interviews, you are all perfectly fine with being addressed by your first names rather than your titles," Marian commented and then turned her attention to Snow and David. "Except the royal couple, as this is your first full length interview. Are you comfortable with me addressing you by your given names?" 

"By all means," Snow said with a nervous laugh. She more than likely did not care about the name, but was more than anxious about saying something silly. David patted her knee and smiled at her.

"Go right ahead," David consented as well.

"Wonderful." Marian turned her attention to Regina and Emma.

Apparently, Regina and Emma would be her first victims. _Don't gulp_. Emma tightened her hold on Regina's hand. Regina used her thumb to calm Emma down, drawing small circles on Emma's skin. Emma breathed a little easier.

Marian offered a kind smile, as if she knew her attention bothered Emma. "When I first came in, I noticed you two exchange a delightful little kiss and you're holding hands here as we speak. You seem very obviously in love. Would you like to tell us your story?"

Emma glanced at Regina and let out a nervous laugh. "If anyone's gonna tell it, it should be her. She'll tell it much better." If only for the vocabulary and eloquence. They would not have to worry about Regina being bleeped like with her.

Regina smiled graciously. "I don't know if I'll tell it better or even in a more romantic light, but to sum it up, Emma had a desire to meet my son, who she had given birth to but at the time could not support, and we all hit it off. It's quite simple."

Marian nodded, but arched an eyebrow. "You all hit it off immediately?"

Regina sighed. "Not immediately, of course, but eventually. Henry was confused because he did not know he was adopted at the time, but we were able to explain it to him and she's great with him. It wouldn't have been fair to cut her out of his life and after a while I couldn't picture life without her." Emma could not help smiling and she puffed out her chest a little.

Marian smiled, too. "I'm sure there's more to it, but it sounds very sweet. Emma, this is something I know you've been asked before, but do you wish you had kept your son? After all, it turned out you were about to live every little girl's fantasy and find out your were a princess." 

The first time someone asked Emma that question, she actually grimaced and it got taken the wrong way. Now, she was able to control herself. Not because she had so much practice with talking to the press now, but because Marian asked the question politely instead of telling her that she should have kept Henry, like a couple of reporters had said. She did not feel judged here, which was nice.

"I wouldn't find that out for a few years after I had Henry and I wasn't in any shape to take care of him. I was young, in jail for the first three years of his life, and broken, not to mention broke, when I got out. I didn't have any education, any money, or even a job. His life would've been miserable, the exact opposite of what he had with Regina," Emma answered.

Besides, this was definitely not "every girl's fantasy" and she had made that clear in her first couple of interviews without outright saying it. Her life was not a fantasy, even now. For a little while it had been close, but not because she found out she was princess. It was because she had Regina and Henry and none of this nonsense.

"Henry had and still has a fantasy childhood. He was raised by an amazing woman who gave him everything he needed and she's letting me be there with him now, be with her now. We get to be a family. It worked out," Emma said and she smiled at Regina. Regina stared at her, her eyes declaring her love for Emma.

"I would say so," Marian agreed with a smile of her own. "Your majesty, King Leopold, I've read you didn't know about Emma until her mother died. Do you wish you had known to prevent these difficult circumstances?"

"Of course," Leopold said in that practiced quiet voice.

Emma had to actively and purposely mentally tell herself not to roll her eyes. He was full of shit. He had already lied to the papers and in interviews saying he had not known about Emma until she was an adult, claiming her mother had kept her a secret. She went along with the lie because it would make things go away faster, but he was a jackass.

"I unfortunately cannot go back in time and change the way things were handled," Leopold continued. "I would like to make it less likely for other children to go through the hardships my daughter faced, though. I'm hoping to open more counseling centers to help children before they end up on the wrong side of the law. I'm also drafting documents that allow incarcerated children to have more educational opportunities. Emma was thankfully able to get her high school diploma while away, but there should be more. She should have had help before she ended up in prison and she definitely should have had help once she was released. She shows us that children in prison are still children and can change to be productive members of society. She has grown into a fine young woman and I am proud of her."

"You say you're proud, but it's been the talk for a week about how you came out into the Senate and made it quite clear that Emma and her descendants have no claims to your throne at all. This doesn't sound like pride," Marian pointed out.

_Wow_. Emma had not expected that. Regina squeezed her hand, as if to say she did expect it. Snow did not look blindsided by it either. _Wow_. It was like they worked together to ambush the King.

But, Leopold did not look ambushed. "That has nothing to do with pride. It is a way to avoid any sort of in-fighting when time comes to pass the crown. History has proven when the reigning monarch is not clear who his or her successor is, once he or she has passed, other factions can use siblings, whether the siblings want them to or not, to push their own agenda and throw the country into chaos. Now, I love Emma with all my heart, but Snow has always been my Heir and this needed to be clear."

Emma snorted and rolled her eyes there. She did not care about this one way or the other. She never had any intention of trying to rule the country. She did not even rule her house and honestly, Regina did a much better job than she could ever hope to do. She did not know how to carry out that sort of responsibility.

Marian turned to her. "Emma, do you have any thoughts here you'd like to share?"

"Uh…" Emma inhaled and glanced between Regina and Snow, hoping one of them would help her out. "Not really. It's just I don't care about ruling the country or anything like that, so I don't see why anyone else should care." But, then again, she did not see why anyone should care about her marriage, or her family, or her life really outside of the people in it, yet here they were. "I don't want to be in charge of anything. Hell, I'm not even in charge at home."

"Well, one of us knows how to stick to the budget," Regina remarked under her breath. Snow and David snickered. Emma just smiled.

"I want Emma to just be able to live her life and enjoy it without worrying about being used by someone later in life," Leopold chimed in.

"But, your actions go beyond Emma not being your Heir. You've made it quite clear that Emma is not of the royal bloodline," Marian pressed.

Okay, that was news to Emma, but she did not care, so she did not react. She had no desire to be a part of the Blanchard dynasty and now she knew she was not part of it. Of course, she had no idea why she was not part of it since Leopold was her biological father.

Leopold did not bat an eye to the statement. "Again, this goes back to history. Throughout our thousand-year history, the reigning monarch has always had to have noble blood from both parents to be considered part of the royal line. This is merely the history and tradition of our country. It's nothing against my daughter or my grandson," he insisted.

Marian nodded. "I suppose that's true. I'd like to come back to tradition later. For now, I would like to know, Snow, Emma, how are you two adjusting to finding out you have a sister so late in life? I have to say, I watched your interview in the park and you seem very comfortable together."

Snow grinned and sat up, chipper and eager to answer. "We are now." She glanced at Emma, who nodded to confirm, and so she continued. "The idea of having a sister to me always struck me as amazing and wonderful and I wanted Emma to be that right away. But, I did feel some resentment toward her that I didn't acknowledge because I wanted to get along with her so much. Thankfully, she and David helped me face my resentment and with that behind me, I'm really able to enjoy her. Emma's a good sister. She's helping me experience a lot of new things."

Emma nodded. "I could say the same thing. Snow has been great in what's been a very confusing time for me. It didn't even really occur to me that she'd have problems with everything because I was wrapped up in all my own craziness. You know, my mother died and I found out the King was my father and just so much stuff. But, if there's any real fairy tale stuff here, it's having a sister who's there for me. I went a lot of my life without any support or help and now, I've got a sister, a wife, and a son."

"And a father," Marian chimed in, glancing at Leopold. He smiled.

"Right, and a father," Emma added without resentment in her tone, but he was no father of hers.

"It's good you two have been able to take to each other so well." Marian turned her attention to David. "David, you're almost on the outside looking in at all of this family drama. Can you give your take on what's going on?"

David shrugged. "It's just a family working through a series of unexpected, but not unfortunate events, like any other family I would assume. Everyone's trying and they all love each other, so why not try? And, despite all of the frenzy surrounding them, I think they're having a good time with each other. As Emma and Snow grow as sisters, they're becoming friends, too. I get to be friends with Emma, which is great because we're about to be in-laws, yes, but also because we're interested in a lot of the same things. The same could be said of Snow and Regina. We all love Henry and like doing things with him. So, yeah, I think it's all working out."

And David was right. They were trying very hard to become a family unit. It would probably be easier to do once the media left them alone, but they all talked more, except Emma and Leopold anyway. He tried to talk to her, but Emma still did not want to hear it. Maybe one day she would, but she would not hold her breath on that.

"Shifting gears a bit, Regina, Emma, I found out you two were married in secret. Any reason for that?" Marian asked.

"We didn't want anyone to know," Emma answered the obvious.

"Yes, but why? I mean, Snow and David are about to have this grand wedding. Why not you two?" Marian inquired.

Emma motioned to everything around them, but Regina was the one to explain. "We were trying to avoid unnecessary attention, much like Emma not wanting to say anything about being Leopold's daughter. We just wanted to enjoy being a couple, enjoy being a family. We didn't want to be in the spotlight."

"Has all of this attention affected any of the relationships here?" Marian looked down the line between them all.

Emma wanted to laugh. If only Marian knew how they had affected the relationships here. She and Leopold had been involved in a freaking love triangle with Regina. How many people could say they had been involved in a love triangle with their fathers? They did not need any help from the media in being affected.

"Of course it has. Now, we have to defend our lives to people who don't know what we're going through," Snow pointed out.

"Exactly. I've had a bunch of people tell me how I should feel about my own family," Emma chimed in. "I feel what I feel. I don't get why that's so hard to grasp."

"How do they want you to feel?" Marian asked.

Emma shook her head. She did not want to get into how people were telling her how to feel or how she did feel. Her emotions were her own and only a few people were privileged enough and cared enough to truly know.

"People have been telling us all how to feel. Just reporters coming up to us and all of this is telling us how to feel. We should feel like everything that has happened is a big deal, is something to get into an uproar over, is something to share with everyone because it's their business," Regina said, chiming in to save Emma. Emma squeezed her hand in thanks.

"We need a chance to process this just like the rest of the nation," Snow added.

"Yes, we can't very well answer questions about something we haven't had a chance to take in and think about ourselves," Regina concurred.

"This is true, but you've had time now," Marian pointed out.

"Which is why we've felt comfortable with sitting down with people and giving interviews," Leopold replied.

Marian continued to question them about their relationships to each other. Emma did not answer unless directly asked a question. The interview went on for over two hours. This was definitely the last time Emma would do this. She did not have the patience for it and the only reason she remained on the couch was because Regina held her hand the whole time. As soon as it was over, she let loose a loud, long sigh. It took willpower she did not even have to not slide boneless to the floor.

"Come on, love, it wasn't that painful," Regina said with a smile.

"Yeah, you got hit with all of the hard questions when you had your interview with Glenda Goode, right?" Marian joked.

Emma groaned. She had not enjoyed that interview, even though Regina had done most of the talking. Glenda was definitely much ruder than Marian, but maybe because she was a bigger name. Regina had granted Glenda the interview because Glenda was a friend of Zelena's and she had done very nice things for Zelena throughout her life. Sure, Zelena had not done much with those things, but Regina decided to show some appreciation. Glenda had clearly been a little bitter about however Zelena had treated her and there was probably a story there that neither Emma nor Regina cared to hear. While she had not really tore into them, it was not the same interview as the one she had given Sydney Glass in Storybrooke.

"Thank you for coming," Regina said to Marian, shaking her hand.

"No, thank you for this opportunity. A lot of reporters wanted the one-on-ones, of course, but this one was the biggest one. I was surprised you picked me, especially since my husband is much more famous," Marian pointed out.

"Fame doesn't matter," Snow chimed in. "It's about getting the story out there in a balanced manner."

Marian was married to a nationally known anchor, Robin Lockley. He was a defender of the common man, a hater of the nobility, even though he himself was a nobleman. Had he interviewed them, Emma certainly would have come out looking well, but no one else would have, no matter how they answered the questions. Robin did not discriminate. All nobles were the problem to him. Emma had never prescribed to this thinking, but she heard it before. To her, problems came from all socio-economic classes because she had definitely run into her fair share of poor and middle-class problems.

"Besides, you're just as good a reporter as he is," Regina commented.

Marian smiled. "Thank you."

"Come on, let's go get Henry and hit the comic book store," Emma said, taking Regina's hand again.

"All right, but no more figurines for you," Regina replied.

"I only bought three," Emma objected.

"This trip," Regina deadpanned.

Emma curled up her lip. "It's your fault. You started it." Not too long ago, when they were in the comic book store with Henry, Emma had seen a figurine of a character she loved as a child. The price was ridiculous and Emma had no problem admiring it from a distance. And then Regina went and brought it for her. She had not asked for it. Regina had just noticed her staring and understood the looking. Now, all of a sudden, she was a collector.

Marian laughed. "You two really are adorable together."

Emma and Regina only shook their heads to that comment. There were farewells and then they off to pick up their son from the game room Leopold was determined to set up for him. David enjoyed the growing game room as well and maybe when Emma cared about being in the palace, she would appreciate it as well. For now, she just wanted to go back home and put this whole thing behind her.

-8-8-8-8-

The headache of the media storm was beginning to wean as reporters began to leave the Swan-Mills family alone. Regina was glad to be able to get through work with less phone calls and emails that had nothing to do with being mayor. Henry was finally back to school, even though he missed almost a month. Emma thankfully could get through a shift at work now without people following her.

The town would probably miss the reporters as they slowly left. It was such a nice influx of cash. It was like tourist season came early. But, they would likely get much more tourism now. After all, thanks to the media, everyone knew Emma lived in town, everyone knew Regina was once a royal princess of Castia, and the royal couple would definitely be visiting more often since Snow and Emma would hang out. Not to mention, Emma and David would hang out. She could see the pair of them with Graham and Ruby outdoors. She groaned at that thought. _I'll have to invest in a better first aid kit_.

Beyond that, her mother and Zelena still tried to contact her, but she still ignored them. She made sure to keep watch on them, though. Kathryn had no problem helping on that front. Cora and Zelena also made statements to the press when they could, but again, nothing concrete since they were out of the loop. It would not do to even appear foolish or ignorant for them.

So, with everything seeming like it was about to blow over, she was blindsided by the next bit of news. Going through her email, she noticed plenty of news media contacting her again. Something happened and then the phone rang. It was Marian Locksley.

"Mayor Mills, I was wondering if you wanted to make a comment about King Leopold admitting Castia as a new province in the country," Marian said.

"Excuse me?"

"This morning, King Leopold announced that Castia would no longer be a territory _of_ the nation, but a new province _in_ the nation. The people of Castia will have voting rights, representation in the Senate, and, of course, full rights as citizens."

_He did what?_ Regina could hardly keep up and felt a little dizzy for a moment. Why would he do this? Why would he not warn her? She had no answers, but this was what happened when she skipped the news in the morning. But, someone had to make sure Henry and Emma got out of the house on time, especially with Emma's new shift. Since they had troopers all over town, Graham gave Emma the morning shift and he worked in the afternoon.

"He credited you with the decision," Marian continued.

Regina groaned and quickly found news sites on her computer. She needed to catch up on what was going on. There seemed to be a lot in such a short amount of time.

"Marian, I will call you back as soon as I have all the facts in this," Regina said and she hung up before the reporter could reply.

Quickly, she read through article after article. She watched the live report with Leopold a mere two hours ago declaring Castia part of the nation and no longer a conquered territory. He dared to even say Castia was part of the Enchanted Forest like Regina was a part of his family.

"What the hell," she muttered with a scowl. Yes, it was good for Castian citizens to have rights, but she really wished he had gone about this some other way and kept her name out of it.

Worse than that, Leopold also said she would be the noble representative of Castia in the Senate, as all provinces had a noble representative in the Senate and then there were all of these elected Senators. She had no time for that, though. She was the mayor of Storybrooke and quite pleased with the job. She had two more years in her tenure and planned to run again, so she did not why he would just shove a job onto her without even consulting her.

"But, then again, this would be just like him," she murmured, still frowning and reading on.

There were dozens of reports in Castia. Some people were in favor of what happened. Many people were not happy, though. They did not want to be part of the Enchanted Forest. They wanted to be Castia. Nobles decried her a traitor, as they had done her father over two decades ago. But, some people seemed to see in her a kind of hope, like somehow she would fight for them.

"And who else is there to fight for them?" Regina asked herself. The royal family had fled, most of the noble class had followed, leaving the average citizen to be subjected to their conquers. Technically, she was all that was left and she was not even sure she was left. She had lived in the Enchanted Forest for almost all of her life and while she knew Castian customs, traditions, and culture, she had never been allowed to practice it. Even the fact that she could speak the language was a secret she only shared with Emma.

Groaning again, she could already feel her answer for this. Now, she would have to figure out how to do her job as mayor of Storybrooke and also as noble representative for Castia. This would require more coffee and Kathryn. Kathryn showed up with the gift of coffee.

"So, I hear you got a promotion," Kathryn commented as she sat across from Regina.

"I didn't even have to ask for one," Regina replied, shaking her head.

Kathryn laughed. "I wish I could get such a huge promotion without asking."

"Trust me, it's only a headache."

Sighing, Kathryn gave an understanding nod. "You know the town is already curious as to what we're going to do now that you've moved onto the big city."

Regina frowned. "Well, assure whoever you can that I'm not going anywhere. I do need to figure out how to handle this and tackle the new job and how to handle the press now that this is out there."

Kathryn nodded. "Sounds like a study session to me. It's a good thing I have coffee. Let's get to it."

Regina smiled, grateful for this one friend in her life. There was so much to do, but Leopold had actually timed for this. Regina had to deal with the media for about a week before they moved on to the grand planning of Princess Snow's elaborate wedding. The wedding would definitely capture the media's imagination.

-8-8-8-8-

"Okay, so are bridesmaid's dresses usually this puffy?" Emma asked, looking down at herself.

"I think you're beautiful," Regina commented, circling Emma. They were secreted away in one of the many rooms of the palace. Henry was waiting for her at their seats. David volunteered to wait with him until Regina returned, even though it was David's wedding day.

Despite Emma's resignation, the dress was actually quite beautiful. It was a strapless, powder blue ball gown with matching shoes. It had wonderful lace work. Emma pulled it off well. Her hair was curled and flowed around her shoulders. She would put the other bridesmaids, all noble and poised, to shame as far as Regina was concerned.

"You're my wife. You're obligated to say that," Emma teased with a half-smile.

Regina smirked. "I am, but it's also true."

"You know, it is a wedding tradition for the bridesmaids to get laid after the wedding." Emma wiggled her eyebrows.

Regina rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. How about we make it through the wedding before you start on this nonsense. Now, let's go watch your sister get married."

"And the getting laid afterward, is that on the table or what?" Emma smirked.

Regina smirked back at her, deciding to give a little of Emma's cheeky behavior right back. "I'm not sure," she purred. "Maybe you should go out there and we can find out later what's… on the table or not." She ran her tongue across her top lip.

Emma gasped and then nodded, but did not move. Regina chuckled and moved to kiss her wife, just an innocent little peck on the corner of her mouth. Just as she was about to leave the room, Emma grabbed her and spun her around. She got lost in Emma's eyes as they stared at each other for what could have been an eternity for all she knew. The air in the room felt heavier all of a sudden.

"Do you think… I mean would you want… I dunno, to get married again someday?" Emma whispered.

"To another person? No, dear, I think I've put enough time in you to see this through," Regina commented.

Emma laughed and pulled Regina close. "Not to other people! Geez, you think I want a divorce already? I meant, maybe we could have a proper wedding. Not something this big, but I mean, nobles go for this stuff and you're a noble…"

Regina smiled to herself for a second. _By the Fates, when did she get this sweet?_ "I'm quite happy with what we have, but if you wouldn't mind standing in front of our friends and family and reaffirming our vows in front of them, I would not be opposed to that."

Emma smiled and laughed some more. "I've always wondered, do you get paid by the word?"

Regina chuckled. _Ah, there's my Emma. Always right on time to ruin a good moment_. "You're lucky I love you. Now, away with you."

Emma rushed off while Regina went to go sit in the audience and relieve David of babysitting Henry. Henry seemed to be in such awe, he did not even notice her sit down. The wedding was expectedly huge. It was held in the White Palace's main garden, Snow wanting it to be close to home to remember it whenever she looked out of her bedroom window. It was a cute sentiment, not that Regina would ever tell her that.

The place was packed with nobles from both the Enchanted Forest and David's home country. David's twin brother stood as the best man, more out of decorum than closeness from what Regina understood. She could relate to that, in the sense that if she had a proper wedding, Zelena would have had to be in it. Of course, this was just one more thing that validated her decision to marry Emma when Emma proposed.

There were several photographers and videographers documenting the historical event. Everything about this wedding proclaimed vast importance, not something Regina or Emma would have been able to deal with at their own wedding. Somewhere in the sea of people, Regina knew her sister sat with her husband, but she hoped to avoid them if at all possible.

The wedding itself was long, seemingly endless. Regina did not understand why the Fates, Fae, and dead gods needed to bless the couple or why they needed to do it so many times. Once should have been enough since the blessings were divine, but the priest droned on. Henry sat next to Regina and the poor dear fell asleep twice, disappointed upon waking each time to find out the wedding was not over yet. He just wanted cake.

"Can we eat cake and then come back?" he asked curiously. The people around them had the nerve to look down their noses at him. He was only seven, what did they expect? 

"No, Henry. No cake until your aunt and uncle cut it," Regina explained.

He pouted, as expected. After a time he fell asleep again. When he woke up the third time, the whole wedding was finally over. The reception was definitely more his and Emma's speed. He practically rushed to Emma as soon as possible and they were off to have whatever food they could get their hands on.

"Your wedding would have been much grander," Cora commented from behind Regina.

Regina gasped and it felt like ice formed up her spine. "Mother. What are you doing here?" she asked, turning to face the woman she had managed to avoid for months.

"Come now, Regina, surely you knew I would be here. This is only the event of the decade. Of course, you could have been that event," Cora remarked with a smirk.

Regina shook her head and waved the comment off. "I have little desire for such pomp. I have what I want, Mother."

"Yes, a dead end to royalty and the chief representative for a country that no longer exists. I can see how marrying the bastard child has worked out for you."

Regina growled and for the first time in her life, got in her mother's face. "You will never call my wife a bastard!" It took all of her willpower to avoid slapping her mother for such an offense. Emma was precious, a princess, and no one was allowed to say otherwise.

Cora merely stared her down. "Regina, you were groomed for greatness. Why should I let you ruin my hard work?" 

Before Regina could respond, Snow came over, all giddiness, hugs, and cheek-kisses. Regina accepted the affection and exchanged the same. Snow smiled at Regina's mother and made quick small talk with her before pulling Regina away, wanting her to meet all of her friends. Regina went off without a fight because if she had to choose between Snow's friends and her mother, there was no contest. Hell, if she had to choose between being flayed alive and her mother, there was no contest.

"Your mother scares me," Snow confided with a smile.

"That makes you and the rest of the world," Regina remarked.

"Now, I'm going to warn you, I've already talked you up to all my friends. Not just you saving my life, but the work you've already started in Castia. They'll talk your ear off," Snow warned her.

Regina figured if Emma could endure Snow's friends, so could she. After all, she had more training in dealing with people she really did not want to be around and feigning conversation with them. It turned out this was actually difficult because they wanted to talk politics and personal life. Politics would not be so bad, as long as they did not bring up Castia, and actually knew something about the political arena. Personal life… well, that was another matter altogether.

Princess Ella, wife to crown Prince Thomas of an eastern kingdom, wanted to talk about her daughter and wanted parenting tips, which Regina could not understand. Regina knew the royal child more than likely had a governess, much like Regina had her entire life. Still, she talked with Ella and they were joined by Princess Aurora, a princess from the north, who was very similar to Ella as the wife of a crown Prince and a new mother. There were more questions about parenting from women who would probably not raise their children. When the talks shifted to politics, Regina found it did not get much better.

Honestly, being trapped with all three princesses was a horror. Snow and Aurora showed some political knowledge, but nothing deep. They could hardly debate any issue. Eventually, the chat returned to children. Regina would need headache medication after this, which was becoming a staple in her life.

Discussing children was pointless because Ella and Aurora had governesses, like Regina suspected. In fact, some of the things she suggested they do with their children earned her blank stares. It was still better than talking with her mother.

-8-8-8-8-

Emma and Henry giggled to each other as they popped loads of shrimp hor d'oeuvres in their mouths. Some nobles around them looked at them with disgust, but Emma could care less with the happy grin on her son's face.

"Those are real good," Henry declared, talking with his mouth full.

"Hey, swallow those before your mom magically appears and destroys me for doing this with you," Emma said. While her mouth was not full, she was still eating.

Henry chuckled. "Oh, yeah. Mom would totally destroy you."

"Your concern for your dear Mama is amazing," Emma remarked dryly.

Henry just laughed more, which did not bother Emma. They got a few more shrimp and more dirty looks from the aristocrats. She spotted David from across the way and he gave her a thumbs' up. She laughed and shot one right back. And then all of the fun got sucked out of the room… or maybe it was just her air space as a dark haired woman stepped before her. She felt cornered for some reason and kept a sharp eye on this newcomer.

"Miss Swan… or is it Missus Swan-Mills?" the woman asked, somewhat smugly or glaringly. It was hard to tell.

Emma straightened. Something about this woman made her teeth itch. She stepped in front of Henry, just in case, like the woman was a charging bull. She then did her best not to sneer at this stranger.

"Uh, it's just Swan," Emma replied. No one, not a single person, had called her "missus" anything yet.

"Ah, so then your wife is Regina Swan?" she asked.

"Uh, no. Still Regina Mills." In their marriage haste, they never discussed names and it had never come up. They both seemed very comfortable with their surnames.

"Ah." The woman said this almost like it was the smartest thing Regina had done. There was even a light in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Emma asked, squinting. She did not seem familiar, but somehow she did.

The woman laughed a bit and tilted her head slightly. "You should. I am your mother-in-law, after all."

Emma flinched. So, this was Regina's mother. Yeah, Emma could see some of the scary factor here. The woman just had this aura about her that seemed to crush the room.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Emma lied. She smiled and even held out her hand. Cora glanced down at the hand and openly sneered out it.

"I'm sure it is. I wish I could return the sentiment," Cora commented. Wow, she was just openly brutal.

"Well, I don't get any complaints," Emma remarked with a smirk. Hey, she could give as good as she got. She glanced down at Henry to make sure he was all right, discovering he found more shrimp to keep his attention. It was really good.

"Yes, well, Regina clearly continues to throw away her life with a smile on her face, so I imagine you don't," Cora countered.

"I dunno if I'd call it throwing it away. If nothing else, it got the stick out of her ass."

Cora let loose a small grunt. "Yes, I can imagine she's very happy with someone who thinks a high achievement can be equated to being uptight."

_Well, at least I know why Regina seems to think she gets paid by the word_. "No, I'm pretty sure she was just uptight. She's still high achieving. Or do you mean, she's not queen and therefore she's dead to you?"

Cora's gaze narrowed. "You think you're cute, don't you?" 

Emma smirked. "Your daughter certainly thinks so."

Cora looked absolutely livid, grinding her teeth together. The air seemed to crackle and pop. Emma wondered if it was the woman's magic or it was just Cora's demeanor. Either way, she felt like this was a dangerous situation, which only made her want to push into even more. _Why the hell do I always want to poke the bear?_ She did not get the chance to do it this time, though.

"Cora, my dear, I'm glad you made it to Snow's wedding," Leopold said as he stepped over. He smiled and bowed slightly to Cora, showing his manners. She bowed in return while he took her hand, kissing her knuckles.

"Of course, I made it, your Majesty," Cora said with a smile. The expression seemed quite demonic. It went beyond what Emma witnessed with Zelena.

"It's wonderful that you did. I'm sorry, but I have to pull Emma away for a moment," Leopold said.

Before Emma could object, Leopold pulled her away. She thought it was to get her away from Cora, but then he tried talking to her. She groaned aloud, but he ignored it.

"Your wedding could have been just as lavish," he commented.

"My wedding was just as lavish," she replied. She had to get away from him now.

It was easy to slip by him, pointing out she needed to get to Henry. She rushed over to him, leaving the King behind. She avoided him for the rest of the afternoon.

-8-8-8-8-

Emma coming over with Henry saved Regina from endless conversations with Snow's friends. He was stuffed and asleep in her arms. The reception was winding down any way, so Emma and Regina excused themselves, sleeping son all the explanation they required. They carried him back to the room he was staying at while they were in the capital, which was until tomorrow. They then retired to their room across the hall.

"You all right?" Emma asked as they cuddled in bed.

"I'm as fine as I can be. So much work to be done, you know?" Regina replied.

"You want me to yell at Leopold from throwing you in the deep end like this?"

Regina shook her head. "No, there's no reason for that. He made the wise decision, which I can't fault him on. Besides, he timed it well. I can handle it."

Emma nodded. "Honestly, I don't get how you get so much done and not go out of your freaking mind yet. You might truly be some kind of superhuman."

Regina chuckled a bit. "Nothing of the sort. I just plan."

Emma did not press and just moved the conversation on. "Did your mother want to talk about Castia?"

"Oh, you saw her?" Regina knew her mother saw Emma. She spotted the two talking, but from what she saw of Emma's expression she had not given any ground. It was foolish, but the sight made Regina very proud.

Emma smiled and pulled Regina closer. "I always keep an eye on you."

Regina smiled, resting her head against Emma's shoulder. "My mother wanted to make it clear, my wedding would have been far grander than the Heir's. She will never understand this is all I require. What we have is what I need and want."

Emma kissed the top of Regina's head. "Me, too. Should we start digging up other stuff on her, though? I mean, just in case."

"Did she say anything to you to make you feel that way?" Regina asked, even though she never stopped digging for things on her mother. Any little thing could mean the difference between life and death.

"You checking up on me?"

Regina smirked. "Someone has to."

Emma let loose a loud snort. "You only think someone has to. I'm good. I watched Henry, didn't I?"

"Is that what you call allowing him to eat every shrimp he saw?"

"Anyway, back to your mom. Is she gonna be an issue? Should we be digging? Yeah, you moved me out of the line of fire by making it clear I can't inherit the throne and you can't either, but could this thing with you being the first Duchess of Castia turn into something?"

"No. While Castia has mixed feelings about me, they all feel very clearly about my mother. She is a traitor and they would never accept her in any shape or form in the government or back in the palace. I've been hearing tales, people actually think she sold the country out to the Enchanted Forest all of those years ago. If something happened to me and she managed to take the title or even tried to act like an advisor to control whoever got the title, I promise there would be a revolt, which would probably lead to Castia turning into an occupied territory again."

Emma chuckled. "Your mother has some fan club."

"She brought it on herself."

"So, you've organized districts for Castia and elections, who's going to sit in as the noble representative while you're still Mayor of Storybrooke?" Emma asked.

"I can do both jobs. The Senate mostly argues during the week and votes on matters at the end of the week before the issue is presented to the King. I can read through the minutes and watch film to vote."

"But, what if you want to argue something? You can't do that if you're always behind."

Regina smiled. "Oh, you're learning about politics, princess. I'll work it out. There might be a way to get a live feed. It'll be fine." She and Kathryn would kick around some ideas later.

Emma nodded. "So… you sure you don't want a big wedding like this one?" 

"Do you?" Regina countered since Emma kept bringing it up.

"No, but you're… I don't want to say one of them because I don't think you are. But, you're still someone used to fine and big things."

"Do I like big things, Emma?"

Emma chuckled. "Well, you like one thing big, but other than that, no. You like fine things."

"We had a fine thing. Lovely rings, beautiful vows, and this amazing marriage. Again, I wouldn't mind if we reaffirmed our vows. I'm sure Snow would appreciate being able to be involved in something for us as you were involved in her wedding."

Emma nodded. "I guess that's true. I liked today, despite the snobbery that comes with this kind of crap."

Regina kissed her forehead. There was so much ahead of them, but just making it through this allowed her to believe they would be able to make it through anything else. And, from the way their lives worked, she knew there was more ahead.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: the epilogue.


	21. Honeymoon

I don't own these characters.

A/N: sexual content alert, sexual content alert. Yeah, there's a sexual relationship between two women here. Consider yourself warned.

21: Honeymoon

Emma looked into the eyes of this woman who she had been married to for a whole year. _She looks more in love with me now than ever before_. For Emma, this said a lot as she and Regina had been through a very eventful year and that was beyond the media circuses they made it through.

Through the year, Emma had been injured on the job. She was fine now, but Regina had been a nervous wreck when she had to come to the hospital because a couple of punk teenagers thought it was funny to run from the deputy after thinking it was fun to do a B and E. Emma had leaped a fence after them, landed on a children's toy, and broke her ankle. Regina had actually cried in the hospital, more in relief than anything else, obviously fearing the worse.

Added to that, there was Emma's general clumsiness. She had broken a few things around the house, nothing worth a lot, but still broken things. She had also tried to bring home a stray cat. It was a beautiful, white cat and seemed almost regal to her, which she argued to Regina. Regina was not amused or won over. To this day, Emma wondered what happened to "Duchess." Of course, the name probably had not endeared the cat to Regina since Regina was still quite sensitive about her title.

Last but not least were the injuries she had gotten hiking in the summer with David and skiing in the winter with Regina. Emma was not a skier by far and Regina had tried very hard to teach her. Emma had crossed her skis, tripped, and gotten a very nasty gash on her forehead. In the summer, while hiking, she had fallen down what she liked to describe as a canyon, but was a shallow sinkhole. The fall resulted in a knot and a concussion. Regina had threatened not to let her outside ever again.

Beyond injuries, there had been arguments throughout the year. Of course, this was something they both expected. Emma had always feared the moment they had a real argument Regina would say something she could not take back and eventually Emma would forgive her anyway, desperate for love as she was. But, Regina never crossed a line. Even when they were at each other's throats, Regina was mindful of Emma's feelings, so Emma always tried to be the same. Still, this caution did not stop them from exploding at each other every few weeks. And, yet, here they were about to reaffirm their vows.

"You're so beautiful," Emma whispered to Regina.

Regina only smiled and she blushed slightly. She stood before Emma in a proper wedding gown, looking as radiant as the sun that shined down on them. They were at what Emma considered "their spot." The spot that changed it all – the old fairy dust mine, or what was left of it anyway. Most of the mine was being filled in, cabins about to go up since the mine was so close to the woods. Some of the mine was left alone as a town landmark and turned into a very fun children's museum, complete with a portion of the actual mine, which had been glassed off to make sure no one could get into it. The mine was the reason the town existed, after all, and everyone should know the town's great history, back when there was magic. But, more importantly, the mine was the whole reason Emma and Regina existed as a couple, as a family. _Hell, maybe there's still magic down there_.

Emma had to fight off fidgeting. She did not want to come across as nervous, even though she was quite eager to reaffirm her vows. They would let the whole town know about their devotion to each other, and yes, the whole town attended. It was a much bigger ceremony than either she or Regina expected, but all of these people felt attached to them in someway.

Of course, two people were noticeably absent. Cora and Zelena had not been invited. And, while Cora might have thought Snow's wedding was a huge social event, she would probably reconsider what she thought of Regina's. While they did not have every noble in the land there, many of them wanted to attend. Emma and Regina just wanted people they knew there, though.

Regina reached over and took Emma's hand, as if she knew Emma was about to shake a bit. "You're beautiful, too, princess," Regina said.

Emma smiled back. She felt plain compared to Regina, but of course, it was probably because she had gone with a plain dress, especially compared to what Regina had on. Other than the crowd and the dresses, the ceremony was simple, though. Henry stood by dressed in a mini-tuxedo with a vest, holding their rings again to let him be a part of this whole thing. Midas presided over things once again. Ruby stood by Emma and Kathryn by Regina.

They added Snow, having her by Emma's side, and Regina had her assistant, Tinkerbell stand with her. Emma still did not understand how Tinkerbell was a real name and not a stripper name, but she was Regina's friend, so Emma never asked. They all had lovely bridesmaids dresses and everyone seemed genuinely happy for them. And, then, they got to the vows part.

Emma took a deep breath, waiting to hear Regina's vows. Part of her feared Regina forgot them, even though she knew in her heart that was not the case. She could still recall word for word what she said to Regina a year ago. Regina would never forget them.

"Here you go, Mom," Henry said, giving Regina the ring for her to put on Emma.

Regina's eyes sparkled as she faced Emma and Emma felt her knees go weak. "Emma Swan, with this ring, a representation of our endless love and connection, I thee wed. I take you in sickness and health, of course, but more I take you through accidents and not-really accidents. I will always be there for you, through it all. A true partner in every sense of the word, here to share the good and the bad. I will hold you up when you need it and hold you close when you need that more. I will tell you the truth when necessary and boost you up, support you in all you need to endure. More than anything else, I will hold you in my heart forever and always because I love you. It is a pure, sweet peace, but also passionate burn. I accept both. I accept you and I will always love you."

Regina slipped Emma's ring, the same platinum band with rubies around it, back onto Emma's finger, where it belonged. Emma's heart beat so quickly and she felt like it would burst. In fact, her chest burned a bit with the fire of the words. Regina loved her, still loved her through so much. Regina smiled at her.

"Breathe, Emma," Regina implored her, just like the night they got married.

"Huh?"

"Breathe."

"Oh!" _Right, breathing is important!_ Emma did as she was told and then turned to Henry.

"Get 'em, Ma," Henry remarked with a grin as he handed her Regina's ring.

Emma chuckled and then turned back to Regina. "I'm not good with words, Regina, you know that. But, I promise, there will never be a place I'd rather be than here with you and Henry. For my entire life, I never felt like I had a home, but you and Henry, you're home. This is where I belong and you and Henry made that happen. I promise to be here for you when you need me, and when you don't. I will do my best to be everything you need me to do. I will stand by you, even if it's just us against the world. This is everything I need, everything I want." She eased the ring onto Regina's finger.

Just like at their wedding, they pressed their palms together and Midas tied a red ribbon around their hands. At the kissing part, as soon as their lips touched, the crowd erupted into cheers. Henry made a face, but did not do the gagging noise he made at their actual wedding. Emma smiled when they pulled away and Midas removed the ribbon.

"Hey, Ruby," Emma said.

"Yeah?"

"Now, there's a reception."

"Yes!" Ruby cheered.

-8-8-8-8-

Because the entire town wanted to be involved with reaffirmation of their own "royal couple," Regina had allowed _Granny's_ to cater. It saved them a headache and also ensured free coffee for her and Emma for the rest of their lives. Henry got free sundaes out of the deal. Granny would probably drum up business from whoever did not already frequent her diner.

In an eternal attempt to buy Emma's love and forgiveness, Leopold had also hired a caterer. _Was it really so hard to just give a real apology and then try to get to know Emma?_ Leopold made it seem so. Either that, or he assumed anyone's affections could be bought. He just had to find the right price.

So, they had a mix of fine dining and the best Granny had to offer. Regina was not surprised Emma preferred _Granny's_. Henry made camp at the build-your-own-sundae ice cream bar. David was right behind him. Regina watched it all from her seat, still in shock at living through Kathryn's speech, which had been followed by Ruby's unsurprisingly colorful speech. She was just thankful neither woman was drunk or things might have gotten really out of control.

"You're not going to dance with your wife?" Leopold asked as he sat in Emma's empty chair.

"Maybe when she doesn't have a slider in each hand," Regina remarked, even though it was true. How two noblewomen could get married and there be actual hamburgers at the reception, Regina could hardly wrap her mind around it, but it made Emma happy. Besides, it was not like someone would force Regina to eat one.

Leopold smiled, but there was pain in his eyes, as always with Emma. Over the past year, she was certain he had fallen in love with Emma in the hopeless way all people did who got to know the sullen blonde. Emma did not return the emotion, though. She still looked upon the King as if he was the lowest of the low and she probably always would. Leopold would never accept responsibility for the way Emma grew up or how he unfortunately funded her mother's addictions, so he would never gain Emma's forgiveness. But, that was his issue, not Regina's.

Regina's issue was the fact that the King tried to be… well, she was not sure. Maybe he was trying to be her friend, or her father-in-law, or something. But, she did not want him near her. Again, it never seemed to enter his mind that he owed her an apology, and not just for almost forcing her into marrying him. She did not need the apology or even want it, but it would be nice to see the King figure out he had wronged people in his life.

"So, Snow tells me she's going to keep Henry while you and Emma go on your honeymoon," Leopold said.

"It's long overdue." Regina felt like she owed this to Emma. They would have a grand two weeks away… or so she hoped. Unwanted excitement tended to follow them around. It did not help matters that they sometimes created their own unnecessary drama.

"Do you think Snow will be able to handle Henry?" Leopold asked, eyes locking onto Snow. She was six months pregnant.

"She's pregnant, not in a coma. Henry is not a difficult boy to handle and Snow has David and Ruby to help," Regina reminded him. Ruby had become a fast friend for Snow when Snow began spending more time in Storybrooke, determined to build a real relationship with her sister. She tended to act as the voice of reason when she was out with Emma and Ruby, too.

He grunted a bit. "Snow will be staying in Storybrooke then?"

"Yes. Henry has school, after all, and he hates to miss even a day," Regina informed him.

"I'm surprised he didn't want to go to Castia with his mothers."

Regina shook her head, not in the mood to share with him. She and Emma would be honeymooning in Castia. Henry did want to go with them, wanting to know about his mother's heritage, but he truly disliked missing school. The idea of missing a fortnight of school almost made him hyperventilate. She promised to take him during the summer. She would have work to tend to there then. Actually, she had work to tend there now and would probably sneak it when Emma was asleep.

"Your approval rating in Castia is quite impressive, especially for someone who doesn't live there," Leopold commented.

"I do my best," Regina said modestly. She really wished he would move. She had no desire to feign a conversation with him, especially about Castia. She was never very comfortable around him and that had not changed in the year.

Emma was her savior, wandering over with no sliders in her hands thankfully. "Hey, love, might we dance?" She gave Regina a bright smile.

"Of course, princess," Regina replied. She then turned to the King and bowed. "Forgive me, your Majesty, but what my wife wants comes before all others."

"Of course," he replied.

Regina moved, trying her best not to hurry away. Placing her hand into Emma's waiting one, they glided out onto the dance floor. Emma smiled at her as she wrapped her arms around Emma. She had to lead as Emma refused to learn.

"Do you know how tense you get when he's next to you?" Emma asked.

"Do you know how jealous you look when he's next to me?" Regina countered.

Emma rolled her eyes. "I don't have anything to be jealous of. I look way better than him."

Regina chuckled. "That you do, princess."

"So… I didn't want to tell you, but…" Emma purposely trailed off, teasing as she often did.

Regina arched an eyebrow. "But?"

"I'm worried about leaving Henry for so long."

Regina laughed. "I know, princess. I know." Emma had stressed over this more than she did. "He's excited about it, though."

Emma scoffed. "He's pretending! Do you really think he's happy we're going to be gone for two weeks? This is the same kid who thought you were abandoning him when you let Snow watch him for two days."

"I know he's putting on a brave face, but I have to respect that. He wants to try. He knows this is important for us and he does want to be close to his aunt and uncle. Plus, he knows Ruby is going to stuff him full of junk food. If all else fails, he'll go with Kathryn if he gets uncomfortable and she'll help him through it all." Of course, it was not likely he would get uncomfortable with Ruby, but it was always good to have others there for Henry.

Emma nodded. "Oh. I didn't think of that. But, I'm still not sure I want to leave him."

"We'll talk to him every day and buy him very wonderful trinkets… when I finally decide to let you leave the suite."

Emma's mouth fell open. Regina smirked and ran a finger down Emma's cheek. Emma leaned down, pressing her forehead to Regina's.

"So… can we leave now?" Emma asked.

"We have to wait a proper amount of time," Regina replied and then glanced at their son, on his third ice cream sundae. "And see if Henry's going to be sick."

Emma looked over at their son, too. "How much ice cream has the kid had?"

"I'm sure he's going for a record. But, as I said, let's make sure he's not sick and then we can leave." Well, she would have some dinner as well, and it would not be those hamburgers. There was a wonderful roasted chicken breast waiting for her while Emma eventually would check on Henry and get him away from the free ice cream. Of course, she merely led him to the free sliders.

-8-8-8-8-

Castia was amazing. Emma could hardly process it. She did not even understand how a nearly tropical country was right next door to the rather moderate, freezing in the winter Enchanted Forest. Well, actually, Castia was part of the Enchanted Forest now, but still it was unbelievable.

"It's beautiful," Emma said, eyes glued out of the window.

Regina smiled. "It is," she agreed, keeping her eyes on the road.

They drove there to avoid crowds and media, which was a rather long drive, but well worth it to get to the palace unbothered. Regina handled the driving once they got into the country, allowing Emma to sightsee. Before they reached the city, there were farm fields and villas. There were green hills and flower covered valleys. The capital city, Leandré in the native Castia, but called Leander in the Enchanted Forest, was breath taking.

"This place is amazing," Emma commented. There was just a different feel to the place compared to Misthaven. It was a city like any other, but something crept in her as soon as they were within city limits.

"It is quite beautiful, isn't it?" Regina replied and for the first time her eyes shined as she complimented her native land.

Emma smiled. Since becoming the First Duchess of Castia, Regina allowed herself to speak more fondly, and much less aloofly, about Castia. She only did it around selective people and even with them she still seemed a bit cautious, but with Emma, she tended to let loose. It was nice to see Regina take pride in her roots and in her heritage. It was nice to know their son had roots now. Still, there were times when Regina was guarded, even to Emma, about Castia.

"You'll teach me Castian, right?" Emma asked. She would love to be able to explore the city on her own, learn the culture on her own, and discover what made Castia so different from the Enchanted Forest.

Regina chuckled. "I don't think you'd be a very good student."

Emma smirked. "I think you just have find the right motivation."

"Then I'll see what I can do about it."

Arriving at the palace, Emma was impressed by the grounds. For some reason, it just seemed more alive than the White Palace. The building had a terra cotta coloring, which matched the color of the landscape they passed on the way. It made the greens of the gardens pop. There were places where it looked like statues once stood, but the platforms were all empty. Emma did not want to think about what happened to those things. Yeah, Castia had lost a war, but they were now in a new age with Regina.

Inside the palace, Regina gave out orders to the servants, mostly because Emma could not speak to them. Her Castian was none existent, after all, and apparently Castians refused to speak anything else. It was probably a small rebellion over being taken over by the Enchanted Forest, which Emma could respect. She did not need to speak to anyone anyway, as she and Regina were around the servants for less than five minutes and most of that time was spent walking to their room. Emma gasped when they entered the master suite.

"Is everything to your liking, princess?" Regina asked.

"It's incredible. Is this where you stayed when you came to Castia a few months ago?" Emma inquired, walking around their room. She was not even sure how to describe it. The bed was on a platform, there was a fireplace, but more impressive was a little fish pond in the corner of the room. It was done in creams and dark wood.

Regina had taken a couple of trips to Castia since becoming the duchess in charge. She never stayed long, just a couple of days. Emma did not go because of work. Besides, Regina went for work, not vacation, so Emma did not want to be there to distract her. And it gave Emma time to bond with Henry on her own, which Regina always feigned concern over.

"No, I stay in a hotel when I come here for business. If I give a stern enough look, most people don't approach," Regina explained.

Emma snickered. "Careful, before you get a nickname here, too."

Regina snorted. "I've had one since day one."

"What? Let's see if they can top Storybrooke. Lay it on me," Emma said.

Regina rolled her eyes. "They've been calling me the Evil Queen."

Emma actually guffawed. She was not sure if she had ever burst out laughing like that before, but she honestly had not been expecting that. Regina narrowed her gaze, but this only made Emma laugh more.

"Oh, gods-be-damned, I can see it! I can totally see it!" Emma had to hold her stomach.

"Then I suppose you'd like to know you're called the Evil Queen's bitch," Regina replied with a sneer.

This sobered Emma up. "Okay, that's not funny. I didn't do anything to them and you didn't do anything to them. What's up with the attitude? I thought these guys liked you."

"They do. I have a high approval rating, but the name is from the early days when they allowed the upper classes to dictate the attitude toward me. The upper classes still consider me the daughter of a traitor and view me as working with the enemy. As far as they're concerned, I'm a traitor. They consider me evil."

"So, is it said as a joke now?" Emma hoped that was the case.

"I think most people say it sarcastically now, but I promise should we go on a tour of the city, no one will throw rotten vegetables at me."

Emma nodded. "Okay, that's good to know." She moved and embraced Regina from behind, resting her head on Regina's shoulder. "I'd kick their asses if they were serious about it. You're stern, not evil."

Regina scoffed, bringing a hand up to caress Emma's cheek. Emma kissed and nibbled Regina's neck. Time to get this honeymoon underway.

"Servants aren't just going to be wandering in and out of here, are they?" Emma asked to be sure. One of the things she hated about the White Palace was the fact that the servants just slid in and out of rooms without anyone asking. They knew not to do that with her anymore, but she was not in the mood to train another group of servants.

"No, the servants will not come unless called and I don't think we'll be calling them any time soon," Regina pointed out. That was all Emma needed to know.

Her mouth attached itself to Regina's neck, worshipping the perfect skin that she found there. Regina moaned loudly, unrestrained and open. Emma missed that sound.

"Can you do that the whole time?" Emma requested, sliding her hand under Regina's shirt.

"Do what?" Regina arched into her hand.

"Make those noises."

Chuckling, Regina gave her an amorous smirk. "Oh, believe me, princess, I planned on it."

Emma melted at that. At home, they had to be controlled and quiet, not wanting to disturb Henry. There were very few hotel rooms for them to defile since getting married and Emma did not mind. Domestic bliss was a thing for her and she appreciated being able to come home to a warm home and loving family. But, every now and then, it was nice to let loose.

"What else did you plan on?" Emma asked, fingers toying with the lace of Regina's bra.

"Why don't you get naked and find out," Regina purred.

"I'd rather get you naked," Emma replied. She wanted to feel every inch of Regina, hear all of her sounds, and swallow some of those noises.

Regina did not object and Emma went back to sampling sweet flesh, lips on Regina's neck and hand pressed against her abdomen. The free hand popped the buttons on Regina's shirt and as soon as it was open, Emma pushed it aside. Her lips drifted down, leaving noisy, wet kisses in their wake.

"By the Fates, I want every bit of you," Emma growled, dragging her teeth down the slope of Regina's breasts.

"Take whatever you want, but do it now," Regina hissed, hands pulling at Emma's t-shirt, bunching it up, wanting to rip it off the blond.

Emma took Regina up on that offer, finding the front clasp to Regina's ridiculously hot red lace bra. Maybe one day, she would properly admire it. Now was not that day, though. She flung the bra somewhere behind her and was about to attach herself, hands and mouth, to tempting nipples, but she got caught in her t-shirt as Regina tried to pull it off of her.

Grunting, Emma freed herself from her shirt as soon as possible and practically charged Regina, needing her hands back on her wife. Regina moaned, throwing her head back, as Emma cupped one supple hill and suckled at the other. The sound only made Emma want to do more, so she nipped the gem between her lips. Regina moaned again and clutched Emma to her.

"Yes, please," Regina cooed, holding on tightly.

Emma had no plans of pulling away, but it always felt good for Regina to hold onto her. She switched sides, running her tongue over Regina's pert nipple. Flicking the gem with her tongue, Regina let loose a series of lustful cries. Each sound made Emma shudder. They needed a bed or she would just take Regina on the floor. Well, that was a thought. It was a vacation and they were trying new things.

Reaching for the zipper of Regina's skirt, Emma yanked it away and then picked Regina up to get the skirt out of the way. Regina wrapped her legs around Emma's waist and practically slammed into Emma's mouth to start a fresh kiss. At the feel of Regina's lips, Emma did not care she almost lost her teeth. Holding onto Regina tightly, Emma lowered them to the floor and settled Regina onto her back before kissing her way down Regina's torso.

"Really, Emma? Taking a duchess on the bedroom floor?" Regina teased.

Emma only scoffed. She then bite Regina's abdomen and dipped her tongue into Regina's belly button. She mimicked what she planned to do as soon as she rid Regina of her lace panties.

"I don't think you really care," Emma replied, kissing a little lower.

Regina moaned and arched a bit. Emma slid Regina's underwear down her legs and kissed her way back up to where they both wanted her. Emma moaned louder than Regina when she reached her destination, drinking her in. Regina wrapped her legs around Emma's neck and held onto Emma's head as she cried out with each move of Emma's tongue.

Emma wanted more and more. Hands moved to Regina's hips and pulled Regina to her, devouring this sweet creature. Regina cried out more and held Emma harder. Emma growled, needing to feel Regina around her now. One hand moved from Regina's hip and Emma eased a finger into her love. She groaned into Regina's flesh as her beloved accepted her, hugged her tightly, warmly. Emma wanted nothing more than to feel Regina come undone around her fingers and under her tongue. So, her tongue adored Regina and she added another finger, earning a loud moan. It did not take long before Emma got her wish.

Regina gripped her head and Emma really would not have cared if Regina crushed her skull in that moment as Regina fluttered against her. Regina practically wailed and her chest heaved. Emma smiled as she watched Regina shudder and sigh. Emma moved back up Regina's body, giving her several short kisses.

"So, what was that about the taking a duchess on the floor?" Emma inquired with an arched eyebrow.

Regina, still trying to catch her breath, managed to scoff. "Incredibly rude."

"Really? So, that loud orgasm was rude?"

"Get on the bed and I'll show you the proper way to treat a lady, princess," Regina replied.

Emma scoffed. "Oh, yeah?"

"Yes." Regina's gaze hardened. "So, go get on the bed."

Knowing the tone was not to be messed with, Emma rushed to comply with this order. She almost tripped trying to get out of her pants while going to bed. Regina merely watched with a smirk.

Emma made herself comfortable in the middle of the bed, watching Regina and feeling her heart rate increase. Regina had this dark, dangerous quality to her and it made Emma melt whenever she glimpsed it. Looking at it now, Emma felt like she might pop from the sight alone.

Emma wiggled a bit as Regina stalked over to her. When Regina crawled over her, she gulped. Regina had not even touched her, but just the thought of Regina's body pressed made her body heat up. Regina gave her a very soft kiss to the lips, but she did not linger. Kisses floated down her neck and chest.

Emma whined, wanting more, but getting only light caresses from Regina's fingers on her sides. For each whine, Regina came back up, kissing her lips, but never lingering. When Regina returned to her chest, Emma caressed Regina's shoulders, arms, and breasts. Regina wrapped her lips around Emma's nipple while her hands kneaded Emma's cleavage.

Unable to take it anymore, Emma tried to pull Regina down onto her, needing to feel Regina's body now. Regina resisted and Emma growled. Chuckling, Regina came back up and kissed Emma's nose.

"Regina," Emma begged.

"Yes, princess?" Regina asked with a smirk, finger caressing Emma's breast.

The nickname struck her suddenly. "I am the princess. And, as your princess, I request that you…" She was not sure how to put it. _How the hell do you say "I want your fucking body on mine" with class?_

There was still the smirk and now an arched eyebrow. "You request?"

_Fuck class_. Besides, princesses did not "request" a damn thing. "Get on me."

Regina chuckled and then leaned down, sucking on Emma's neck for a moment. "I am on you."

"You know what I fucking mean. Get on me."

Regina snickered and suckled Emma briefly again. Emma moaned, feeling teased and taunted, but her body was on fire for Regina. Before she got the full sound out, Regina was back to kiss her lips and then she settled on top of Emma, full skin on skin contact. Emma let out a long groan and Regina shifted, pressing her thigh against Emma's throbbing center.

"Is this good?" Regina asked, taunting smile in place. She placed several kisses to Emma's lips and chin.

"So fucking good," Emma answered. She gripped Regina's hips, pulling her and riding Regina's thigh.

"Such language, princess," Regina said, pushing herself against Emma, working up a steady rhythm.

Emma only moaned and threw her head back. This felt so good, everything felt so good. Growling, she rolled her hips, getting closer and closer to the edge. Regina managed to slide her hand between them and put her fingers to work. Regina had to adjust her position, now using her thigh to add pressure to her hand, two fingers inside of Emma and her palm against Emma's clit.

"Now, princess," Regina ordered, her mouth against Emma's throat. "Come for me now, princess."

The caress of Regina's breath along with the command seemed to be the right button. Emma arched and moaned as bliss flooded through her. Regina did not halt and the first orgasm bled into the second. Emma's mind swam, not sure of anything beyond Regina and pleasure.

-8-8-8-8-

Regina rested her head against Emma's shoulder and watched the sunset out of the large window across the room. The sunsets in Castia were amazing. This place had grown on her already and she had only been there three times since her family was moved to a manor in the Enchanted Forest. _I guess it is in my blood_.

She had denied herself identifying with Castia for so long she had believed the lie, but she felt connected to the whole province in ways she never felt with the Enchanted Forest. _Did Leopold know? Was this truly an act of kindness and not some political nonsense on his part? _She highly doubted that.

"The sunset here is really nice," Emma commented, fingertips drawing nonsense patterns on Regina's skin.

"Yes, it is."

"When your term is over, are we moving here?"

"Is that what you want?" Regina asked curiously. She had a feeling Emma would merrily follow her to the ends of the Earth as long as Henry was there and they were a family. _What did I do to deserve such devotion? _She did not know, but she would appreciate it and Emma for the rest of her life.

"It doesn't really matter to me, but I like Storybrooke and I kinda like being a deputy. Hell, maybe one day I'll give Graham a run for his money and go after the sheriff's position. That'll teach him to ogle my wife," Emma remarked with a laugh.

"We'll work something out. I know Storybrooke is the first home you've ever had and I don't want to take that from you."

"Yeah, but I know you love Leandré in ways you can't love Storybrooke."

"But, Storybrooke will always have a special place in my heart, so I'm not willing to just leave it behind. Besides, I can run for mayor indefinitely and even if I can't be mayor, I still need to be close to Misthaven whenever the Senate meets," Regina reminded Emma.

Emma nodded. From the spring until the middle of autumn, Regina did have to participate in the Senate in some manner. Right now, she had Kathryn fill in for her whenever necessary. She also got live feeds over her computer, but it was not the same as being on the Senate floor. Thankfully, Castia also had elected Senators to show up and cast votes in the province's interest. Kathryn consulted with Regina on her own vote.

They worked as a team, figuring out what was best. Regina might just leave the position to Kathryn. She felt like they did a good job as they were. Kathryn had also taken Castia as sort of an adopted home, so she cared about what was going on in the Senate. She and Regina would talk about it soon enough.

"We'll work something out," Regina said again because she believed they would. This was how their relationship worked. They would figure out what worked best for them, as they always did. Maybe it would be an accident or impulsive or planned out, but they would do something. But, for now, they would enjoy their honeymoon and the beautiful Castian sunset.

"Until then, let's call for some food. I need to get energy back," Emma remarked with a grin.

Regina groaned. "Leave it to you to ruin the moment."

-8-8-8-8-

The end.

A special thanks to MagicalInsanity for beta-reading. Thank you all for reading. I hope you enjoyed the story. If so, please, check out some of my other works. Also, maybe check out my books, including the latest one: New Cuts, Old Wounds. For now, I'm returning to my padded room. Hopefully, I'll be back and so will you. Thanks again. I appreciate the support.


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